Delhi’s 2026 winter air pollution strategy is putting greater emphasis on industrial emissions, with 2,354 targeted industries required to install and connect online continuous emission monitoring systems (OCEMS), while industries that need additional controls are being pushed to install or retrofit air pollution control devices (APCDs) -- reduce particulate matter and other pollutants in industrial emissions, according to senior government officials.
The approach also introduces tighter particulate matter norms, expanded real time monitoring and closure of units that fail to comply.
The strategy was presented on September 28 by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) as part of its Winter Action Plan for 2026-27 (September-February). Industrial pollution remains an important contributor to overall air quality, especially particulate matter emissions from industrial processes and fuel burning, says one of the officials.
Research by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water says industrial activities account for 21-38 per cent of India’s air pollution. According to a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report, India’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises alone account for an estimated 70 per cent of the total industrial pollution load
The government’s industrial strategy is based on two linked interventions: first, measuring emissions from identified industries through OCEMS and, second, controlling those emissions through APCDs.
An analysis conducted before through the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur identified 17 highly polluting industries, along with large and medium red category air quality industries and three specific sectors: textiles, food processing and metals. The government said concentrating enforcement and emission control measures on these categories could have a significant impact on industrial pollution.
Last year onwards, the state and central government started focusing on installing the online continuous emission monitoring systems in this group of industries. The sensor-based systems transmit emission data to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) server, making it visible to CPCB, State Pollution Control Boards and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), as well as the industries themselves.
One of the government officials cited above says this monitoring system is now being tied directly to enforcement. Of the 2,354 targeted industries, 2,197, or about 97.3 per cent, have installed OCEMS, while 57 industries that failed to install the systems have been closed. They can reopen only after installing OCEMS, according to the briefing. The systems are also required to be linked with the Integrated Online Pollution Portal (IOPP) and the CPCB server.
This represents a shift from monitoring emissions as a standalone exercise to using the monitoring data as part of regulatory action. According to the Delhi government’s air pollution mitigation action plan, strict monitoring of OCEMS and APCDs will be accompanied by closure of defaulting industries. From December 1, 2025 to September 26, 2026, 11,271 industrial units were surveyed, of which 2,283 polluting units, including 1,665 for air pollution and 618 for water pollution, were closed or sealed.
The second major change is the tightening of the particulate matter emission standard. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued directions in February 2026 reducing the applicable norm from 80 to 50 milligrams per normal cubic metre for the targeted industries from October 1.
The government has divided the targeted industries into three categories for implementation. Industries using only clean fuels and having no source of particulate matter emissions can receive exemption certificates from the respective pollution control boards. A second category consists of industries that already have APCDs capable of meeting the 50 milligrams norm. Their systems will be evaluated by designated technical institutions, with the adequacy reports subsequently vetted by the state pollution control boards. The remaining industries will have to install new APCDs or retrofit existing equipment.
The government has also introduced a quality assurance mechanism for APCDs. Technical institutions have been identified to assess existing equipment, while an empanelment process for APCD vendors was initiated with the National Productivity Council. Industries have been asked to use equipment supplied by empanelled vendors.
More than 100 exemption requests had been received, with 112 exemptions recorded and nearly 320 adequacy certificates received. About 550 work orders for APCDs were also reported to be at different stages of installation, another official said.
The government says the APCD exercise is crucial for industries outside Delhi that continue to use solid fuels. Prasad said many industries in Delhi already operate on electricity or gas based fuels, while industries elsewhere in the National Capital Region (NCR) continue to use solid fuels and may require new or strengthened control equipment.
The implementation therefore combines technology, independent verification and regulatory enforcement. Industries that already meet the new standard are not required to undertake unnecessary retrofits, while those that cannot demonstrate compliance have to install or upgrade their control systems.
The fuel situation has also been incorporated into the enforcement framework. Until September 30, industries remain required to meet the existing 80 milligrams norm irrespective of the fuel being used, with State Pollution Control Boards and designated regulatory authorities responsible for enforcement.
The industrial measures form part of a broader strategy that the Delhi government says is designed to strengthen monitoring and enforcement before winter pollution peaks.
The Delhi government’s plan also proposes 60 continuous air quality monitoring stations, up from 47, with 13 new stations to be added by October 15. It also proposes 334 enforcement teams, comprising 256 ward teams from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment Board, along with 78 DPCC teams. The teams will operate in two shifts from 3 pm to 11 pm and 11 pm to 7 am, with geo tagged and time stamped attendance recorded through the Green Delhi App.
The wider NCR monitoring network is also being expanded. According to the action plan, the number of stations across the NCR is being increased from 85 to 157, with a grid based approach intended to strengthen spatial coverage and continuous monitoring.
The winter plan also brings industrial enforcement into a wider “airshed” approach, with the CAQM expected to coordinate continuously with NCR cities for joint action across the shared airshed.
The Delhi government has identified a total of 10 key policy initiatives for the 2026-27 winter season, covering industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, road dust, construction and demolition waste, open burning, waste management, hotspots, greening and public transport. The industrial component combines emission monitoring, APCD compliance and closure of defaulting units, while the broader plan seeks to increase enforcement through real time data, dedicated teams and district level accountability.