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Centre Reviews Haryana's Air Pollution Action Plan for NCR

UPSC / SSC current affairs note · IR

IRGovernanceEconomy

Why in news

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav reviewed Haryana's air pollution action plan with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, emphasizing strict enforcement and timely implementation before winter. The meeting focused on reducing pollution in Delhi-NCR through coordinated measures.

Background

Delhi-NCR faces severe air pollution, especially in winter, due to stubble burning, vehicular emissions, dust, and industrial sources. The Centre has been pushing state-specific action plans under the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

Key facts

in5points

  1. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav reviewed Haryana's air pollution action plan with CM Nayab Singh Saini on 24 July 2026.

  2. Yadav stressed strict enforcement, faster implementation, and a whole-of-society approach to curb NCR air pollution.

  3. He called for mission-mode implementation of anti-pollution measures before winter.

  4. Road dust control measures include pothole repair, footpath construction, roadside greening, and mechanical road sweeping.

  5. All Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines (MRSMs) to be geo-tagged for real-time monitoring by September 2026.

  6. Electric bus deployment in NCR municipal corporations to be expedited; EV charging stations to be set up in seven municipal areas.

  7. End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles: expedite NOC transfer outside NCR and promote scientific scrapping; 'Parivartan Yojana' for replacing old polluting vehicles with EVs.

  8. 'No PUC, No Fuel' initiative: install Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at all fuel stations.

  9. Industrial pollution: expedite installation of Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) and Air Pollution Control Devices (APCDs).

  10. Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste: set up secondary collection centres; clear legacy waste on war footing. Municipal solid waste and biomass burning: 100% collection and ban open burning; form special task force.

Prelims pointers

  • Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)
  • Mechanical Road Sweeping Machine (MRSM)
  • Online Continuous Emission Monitoring System (OCEMS)
  • Air Pollution Control Device (APCD)
  • Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)
  • Parivartan Yojana
  • End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles
  • No PUC, No Fuel
  • C&D waste management
  • Biomass burning

Mains angles

  • GS3 Environment: Air pollution in NCR – causes, impacts, and mitigation strategies.
  • GS2 Governance: Centre-state coordination in environmental policy implementation.
  • GS3 Economy: Electric mobility and scrappage policy as economic and environmental tools.
  • GS3 Environment: Role of technology (OCEMS, ANPR, geo-tagging) in pollution control.
Centre Reviews Haryana's Air Pollution Action Plan for NCR — UPSC IR · in5points