Delhi: CM-led panel to monitor pollution, fine violators
What's the story
The Delhi government is forming a new panel to monitor pollution levels in the national capital. The panel will be led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and will include ministers, representatives from government departments, experts, and scientists, according to Hindustan Times. This decision comes as air quality in Delhi has remained in the "very poor" category for three consecutive days with an AQI of 333 on Wednesday, 5:30pm, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board.
Penalty enforcement
Panel to impose penalties for pollution violations
The newly-formed panel will also be responsible for imposing penalties on all pollution violators, including individuals and private, and government agencies. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that strict action will be taken if construction debris is found lying in the open. He also announced a ban on road cutting anywhere in Delhi, warning of immediate FIRs against violators.
Pollution control measures
Water sprinkling, pothole repair to combat pollution
Sirsa also announced that water sprinkling will be done on the roads of all neighboring state corporations to reduce the levels of dust. Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has been given 72 hours to identify and repair all potholes in the city. Local bodies have also been directed to increase green plantation drives with citizen participation. Strict action will be taken against vehicles not complying with BS-IV emission standards.
Industry regulations
Central government orders crackdown on polluting industries
The central government has also directed the states in Delhi-NCR to finalize their 2026 air pollution control plans within a month, PTI reported. It ordered a crackdown on highly polluting industries in Delhi-NCR that haven't installed real-time emission monitoring systems by December 31. CPCB Chairman Vir Vikram Yadav said over 2,000 such industries have not connected their Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems to the CPCB server. He warned of strict action, including possible closure, against non-compliance with the deadline.
Legal proceedings
Delhi High Court advises petitioner to approach Supreme Court
According to a Live Law report, the Delhi High Court has advised a petitioner seeking urgent measures to control pollution in the national capital to approach the Supreme Court. "A similar matter is pending before the Supreme Court, and the situation in and around Delhi is being monitored here," the bench noted.