NEW DELHI: With no let up in the air pollution crisis, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday asked local authorities to take necessary steps to ensure “visible improvement” in the prevailing air quality situation across the national capital region (NCR) within one week.Chairing a high-level meeting to undertake a detailed review of action plans of the governments of NCT of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Yadav directed the authorities to remove dust and construction and demolition (C&D) waste lying on roads, containment of biomass burning, and strict enforcement of construction bans during high pollution periods.
“Individual officers were asked to be assigned responsibility for Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines (MRSMs), supported by GPS tracking, to ensure efficient road cleaning and dust control,” said the environment ministry in a statement.It said directions were issued to remove encroachments causing traffic congestion within 10 days, ensure annual maintenance contracts for pothole-free roads, and provide proper drainage to prevent monsoon-related damage to the roads.Expressing concern over the persistence of poor air quality in the Delhi-NCR, Yadav announced that from January 2026 onwards reviews of action plans, being finalised now, will be held every month at the ministerial level.Reviewing the individual presentations on measures taken by the state governments and municipal bodies, he emphasised that the momentum of these actions must be sustained until there is a visible improvement in air quality across the NCR.“The minister further made it clear that strict measures must be taken against defaulters, but at the same time the general public must not get inconvenienced unnecessarily. Identified issues are to be addressed through corrective actions, with a review scheduled in 15 days,” said the ministry.During the meeting, staggered timings for offices, shopping malls and commercial complexes were also emphasised to reduce peak-hour congestion. “Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida were directed to fast-track the implementation of the Integrated Smart Traffic Management System (ITMS), while traffic police were asked to ensure that enforcement checks do not themselves lead to congestion,” said the ministry.
