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The Union environment ministry has directed Delhi and NCR states to prepare comprehensive, year-round clean air plans for 2026.
They've been asked to shift from seasonal measures to continuous pollution control.
Municipal bodies must address road dust, waste, greening and industrial emissions, with strict deadlines for emission monitoring systems.
Union environment, forest and climate change minister Bhupender Yadav announced December 3, 2025 that the Centre has asked Delhi and all national capital region (NCR) states and municipal bodies to prepare comprehensive, year-round air quality action plans for 2026, marking the most significant shift yet from seasonal firefighting to long-term, continuous pollution management.
This assumes significance as Delhi-NCR breathes poor quality air round-the-year, especially during winter months (November-February). The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi on December 3 at 12 PM was in the ‘very poor’ category at 362 against 372 at 4 pm a day ago, according to CPCB.
Speaking after chairing the sixth review meeting on air quality in NCR since August 8, Yadav told reporters that the Centre, Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) and the state governments were now “evaluating efforts continuously”, and that the new push would ensure January-December preparedness, instead of episodic emergency measures.
The Centre has directed Delhi and all NCR state governments (Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan) to draft a single-year 2026 clean air plan, shifting from reactive, winter-centric strategies.
Municipal corporations, including MCD, Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad, have been asked to prepare city-level plans for dust control, waste management, road maintenance and greening.
About 2,254 of the 3,500 polluting industrial clusters complete installation of Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) by December 31, with CPCB oversight. “If they fail to meet the deadline to install air pollution control devices, it may lead to closure of the industry”.
Yadav said road dust, traffic congestion, municipal solid waste management, greening and industrial emissions were identified as priority areas during the meeting attended by state officials, civic commissioners, Delhi Police, CAQM and CPCB.
Municipal bodies will be required to:
Expedite road repairs and adopt mechanised sweeping across major corridors.
Identify hectare-based greening patches, replacing the earlier practice of focusing on tree counts.
Undertake “end-to-end” paving and improve drainage systems across industrial and high-traffic zones.
States were also asked to map and decongest traffic hotspots in coordination with traffic police, PWDs and transport departments.
Responding to questions on revising sectoral pollution norms, Yadav confirmed that the government has already notified stricter standards for textile, food processing and metal industries — three categories identified as significant contributors to local emissions.
Any proposal for more ambitious standards would be deliberated jointly by CAQM and CPCB, he said, adding that “existing standards must first be enforced” firmly.
On the Supreme Court’s November 19 observations regarding a long-term plan to phase out BS-III and older vehicles, Yadav said the government cannot take coercive action currently because the Court has paused enforcement.
“But an expert committee has been formed and will give its recommendations within 15 days,” he said, after which the government will decide the future pathway in consultation with stakeholders.
When asked about verification of satellite-detected farm fire counts, Yadav said CAQM had “substantially evolved” its methodology over the past three years and now works with a clearer air-shed-based framework. He cited reforms such as BS-VI fuel, peripheral expressways and industrial fuel shifts as contributors to gradual improvement.
He stressed that Delhi’s air cannot be addressed in isolation: “The impact on Delhi comes from across the NCR — from Gurugram, Faridabad and Ghaziabad as much as from within Delhi.”
Addressing allegations that air-quality monitors were shut or influenced by water sprinkling near stations during Diwali, CAQM officials said that all stations are fully automated and operate without manual intervention. “They are neither shut down nor can readings be tampered with,” an official said.
The siting of monitoring stations follows scientific protocols, with no intent to distort data, the officials added,
The minister also noted concerns about stubble burning in Madhya Pradesh, saying jurisdictional issues exist but “a shared approach” would be required going forward.
He confirmed that monthly reviews with media and stakeholders will continue to ensure transparency.