Delhi-NCR air pollution: PMO directs CAQM and CPCB on new emission study, road dust action plan 



Delhi-NCR air pollution

In a significant intervention, the Prime Minister’s Office has directed environmental agencies to expedite new studies identifying the precise sources of Delhi-NCR’s toxic air, as current action plans are reportedly reliant on outdated emissions data, The Indian Express reported.

The directives were issued during a high-level task force meeting on October 23, chaired by the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, P K Mishra. The meeting, which included secretaries from eight key ministries and the Chief Secretaries of Delhi and four neighbouring states, focused on appraising measures to curb major pollution sources.

This development comes just days after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) was informed that current actions against air pollution are based on an old emissions inventory, despite a 2023 real-time source-apportionment study having been completed. Source-apportionment studies are crucial as they detail the specific contributors to pollutants, forming the scientific basis for targeted policy.

The PMO has reportedly instructed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to accelerate work on a new emission inventory and source-apportionment studies. Government sources confirmed that work on this new, comprehensive study is already underway, having begun several months ago.

"The work began a few months ago and the CPCB was entrusted with the task of engaging with IITs and other institutions to study key 7-8 sectors and sub-sectors contributing significantly to pollution. Trans-boundary pollution will also be studied," sources were cited as saying The Indian Express.

Currently, authorities still reference a 2018 study by The Energy and Research Institute, which found that transportation was the leading source of PM 2.5 pollutants in Delhi, accounting for 39 per cent. Road dust contributed 18 per cent, power plants 11 per cent and industries 3 per cent.

Addressing the significant role of dust, the PMO also called for a time-bound action plan with adequate funding to redevelop major urban and industrial roads. The plan stresses end-to-end paving and greening of road shoulders. The CAQM informed the task force that several thousand kilometres of industrial roads have been prioritised for this redevelopment.

The meeting also reviewed challenges posed by construction and demolition waste, with 8,000 tonnes generated per day and processing capacity remaining inadequate.

On industrial pollution, the task force was told that IIT Kanpur is developing stricter emission norms for select sectors. Of the approximately 50,000 industries operating in the NCR, 11,000 are classified as polluting. While most have switched to piped natural gas, the installation of air pollution control devices and continuous monitoring systems is still ongoing.

Regarding thermal power plants, eleven units within a 300 km radius of Delhi are being monitored for compliance. The task force was informed that 14 of the 35 units in that zone have installed flue gas desulphurization systems to cut sulphur dioxide emissions. The Ministry of Power and pollution control boards were directed to ensure all identified plants implement emission standards.

The urgency for updated data and robust action was underscored by the region's air quality, which registered in the ‘poor’ category on Sunday after several days of ‘very poor’ conditions. An analysis by the research initiative Climate Trends notes that Delhi has recorded the highest average Air Quality Index almost every year between 2015 and 2025, peaking in 2016.