Bhupender Yadav calls for coordinated implementation of pollution control measures across NCR

New Delhi: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday said air pollution does not recognise state boundaries, and called for coordinated implementation of pollution control measures across the national capital region (NCR).

The minister stressed the need for real-time monitoring through integrated command and control centres (ICCCs), and direct accountability of field officers for violations.

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Yadav on Saturday chaired a meeting to assess measures undertaken in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan for mitigating air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

During the meeting, state governments were directed to nominate secretary-level officials for seven cities in Haryana, four cities in Uttar Pradesh, and four cities in Rajasthan for implementation of pollution control measures through field visits and submission of weekly reports to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

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The CAQM was requested to issue notices to non-performing officers.

Other directions included expediting the PARIVARTAN Scheme for replacing pre-BS-VI trucks and buses with BS-VI, CNG and electric vehicles by 2028.

The minister directed all agencies to ensure strict implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and called upon NCR states to adopt Delhi's hotspot-focused winter action plan, covering traffic management, work-from-home measures, construction restrictions and prevention of open burning.

GRAP is a set of emergency measures imposed to prevent further deterioration of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold.

Yadav reviewed road dust management and noted that only 3,221 km of the targeted 5,480 km of roads had been redeveloped.

"He directed road-owning agencies to prioritise pothole repairs, damaged footpaths, central verges and end-to-end paving as per the CAQM framework, along with artificial intelligence-based videographic surveys," the Union environment ministry said in a statement.

Concluding the meeting, Yadav emphasised that coordinated efforts, field-level accountability, and visible action on the ground are essential to effectively address the challenge of air pollution in Delhi-NCR.