NEW DELHI: A complete ban on construction and demolition activities from Dec 10 to Jan 20, ‘no PUCC, no fuel’ rule, and curbs on vehicles registered outside Delhi and below BS-VI emission standards, except CNG and EV vehicles, with effect from Nov 1 are among the features of Delhi govt’s air pollution mitigation action plan.Environment minister Bhupender Yadav, who chaired a meeting with CM Rekha Gupta and reviewed the plan Monday, called for time-bound, coordinated action and public participation.State environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “Parking charges will be doubled from Nov 1. However, EVs will be exempted.”Govt will impose time-bound curbs on dust-generating activities. From Nov 1 to Jan 31 dust-generating demolition activities and outdoor civil construction activities will be banned.For dealing with vehicular pollution, entry of all vehicles registered outside Delhi and below BS-VI emission standards, except CNG and EV vehicles, will be barred from Nov 1. Staggered office timings and work-from-home measures will be introduced as offices under Municipal Corporation of Delhi will function from 8.30 am to 5 pm, while offices under Delhi govt will function from 10 am to 6.30 pm. Govt and private offices will reduce their in-office workforce by 50%, with 50% of staff working from home and 50% working from offices. These measures are aimed at reducing peak-hour traffic and vehicular emissions during the winter pollution period.The plan includes traffic hotspot action plans covering a 3-km radius around each hotspot. Of the 62 traffic-prone hotspots, 42 hotspots have been rectified, with eight more targeted by Oct. “In consultation with Delhi Traffic Police, one-way traffic and decongestion trials would be undertaken at hotspots. Eight identified road stretches have been made signal-free and the remaining seven are targeted for completion by Oct this year,” the plan stated. Delhi has set a target of 3,065 km of road redevelopment in 2026, against the usual annual average of around 1,000 km for road dust mitigation. As of Sept 20, 1,193 km has already been completed, leaving 1,872 km under execution. Cement-concrete works are targeted for completion by Oct 31.A city-wide ‘zero burning’ pledge campaign would be carried out and monitoring teams would be deployed by Oct 15 to prevent waste burning. Besides, heating booths would be established on a pilot basis. To mitigate industrial pollution, an AI-enabled Command and Control Centre will be operationalised from Oct 1 and 334 enforcement teams will be deployed to act against non-conforming polluting industries. Between Dec 1, 2025, and Sept 26, 2026, around 11,271 units were surveyed, of which 2,283 polluting units were closed or sealed.“Around 30% of the pollution is generated within Delhi, while around 60–65% comes from or is influenced by surrounding areas, as reflected in the govt’s air pollution mitigation assessment. While Delhi will take full responsibility for controlling pollution sources within its jurisdiction, sustained improvement in air quality will require coordinated action across the NCR,” said Sirsa.Yadav called for converting the discussions held with Delhi and other NCR authorities into concrete action points, with the action plans for NCR areas to be finalised before Oct 10. CM Gupta highlighted the need to explore technological solutions to reduce emissions from cremation grounds and promote awareness about electric cremation facilities .
