Delhi's ₹8,300 crore clean air project to include AI monitoring, EV roadmap under World Bank framework

New Delhi: The Delhi government's ambitious ₹8,300-crore "Clean Air, Healthy Delhi" programme will go beyond tackling vehicular emissions and road dust to include AI-powered monitoring of construction sites, an electric vehicle charging roadmap, scientific waste management reforms and a dedicated Project Management Unit under a World Bank-supported framework.

According to the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) prepared for the Delhi Clean Air Programme, the project will be implemented by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) under the administrative oversight of the Environment Department, with support from the World Bank's preparation grant.

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The plan comes mere days after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the ₹8,300-crore, seven-year programme to combat air pollution in the national capital. The project, to be implemented from September 2026 to August 2033, will receive 65 per cent of its funding from the World Bank, while the Delhi government will bear the remaining 35 per cent.

Gupta had said the initiative aims to strengthen air quality management and reduce emissions from key pollution sources, including transport, road dust, construction and demolition activities, industries and solid waste.

The newly released commitment plan outlines several preparatory activities required before implementation.

It requires the government to establish a Project Management Unit (PMU) within the Environment Department, appoint environmental and social specialists and designate officials to oversee stakeholder engagement, labour management and implementation of the programme. The PMU is to be established within 30 days of signing the grant agreement.

The document also calls for semi-annual monitoring reports to be submitted to the World Bank, detailing implementation progress, stakeholder consultations and grievance redressal, besides mandatory reporting of major environmental or social incidents within 48 hours.

Among the proposed interventions is the development of an AI-camera-based monitoring system for construction and demolition sites. The document says the terms of reference for the system must address concerns relating to data privacy, worker surveillance and fairness in automated enforcement in line with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

The programme will also prepare a roadmap for the removal of polluting vehicles, with studies examining the socioeconomic impact on lower-income vehicle owners and informal-sector users, including possible transition support mechanisms.

Another component envisages a strategic investment plan for the waste sector, including assessment of livelihood impacts on informal waste pickers and evaluation of technologies such as bio-CNG, refuse-derived fuel, mechanised biological treatment and waste-to-energy plants.

The commitment plan also proposes preparation of an electric vehicle charging infrastructure roadmap that will identify suitable sites, define institutional responsibilities and incorporate fire safety and emergency response measures.

The document places considerable emphasis on stakeholder engagement, requiring outreach programmes for low-literacy groups, informal-sector workers and non-Hindi-speaking populations. It also mandates consultations with commercial drivers, small fleet operators and waste pickers whose livelihoods could be affected by future policy measures.

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It further requires the government to establish a grievance redress mechanism within 30 days of the agreement becoming effective, allowing complaints to be filed free of cost, including anonymously, and ensuring regular updates on their resolution.

The Chief Minister had said a workshop will be held on July 10 to finalise the implementation roadmap and define the roles of participating departments and agencies before the project is rolled out later this year.