GURGAON: The state govt has come out with a new action plan that promises a crackdown on the very sources that turn winter into a struggle for clean air. From Oct 1, authorities will target 200 end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) every day for impounding, tighten checks on visibly polluting vehicles and PUCCs, tackle road dust and traffic bottlenecks, and step up action against construction sites, industries and stubble burning.
The plan includes targeting 200 end-of-life vehicles daily and monitoring visibly polluting vehicles.
The Winter Action Plan 2026-27, covering Oct to Feb, seeks to shift the focus from reacting after air quality deteriorates to preventing pollution at its source. It identifies vehicular and road dust emissions, waste and biomass burning, congestion, construction and demolition, industrial emissions, and generator sets .The crackdown is specifically targeted at old vehicles that are past their permitted age. On Dec 31, 2025, Haryana had 8.9 lakh vehicles that are either BS-III category or below . The plan has, however, estimated that only 88,974 may be plying on roads.From Oct 1, vehicles without a valid pollution certificate will not be allowed to buy fuel at petrol pumps across NCR. To enforce this, the transport department has proposed 2,780 automatic number plate recognition cameras at fuel stations. The state plans to purchase 875 electric buses by Dec 31 this year, and set up 900 EV charging stations too.Traffic congestion will be tackled at 102 short-term choke points identified by seven municipal corporations, including 33 in Gurgaon. Another 19 locations, including three in the city, have been earmarked for long-term measures. 79 parking lots, capable of holding 11,308 vehicles, will also be targeted to address congestion. Road dust,will be tackled through mechanical sweeping, removal of accumulated silt, paving or stabilising road shoulders, repairing damaged surfaces, securing loose construction material and suppressing dust at identified locations.Of the 1,734.9km of roads identified for redevelopment across the seven corporations, 1,165.7km will see a makeover this year itself.The state will also add 23 continuous ambient air-quality monitoring stations in its NCR districts. Gurgaon will get five, Faridabad four, Sonepat three, Panipat and Rohtak two each, and Manesar, Karnal, Palwal, Rewari, Mahendergarh, Jhajjar and Nuh one each. Haryana pollution board will prioritise monitoring emission stacks at red category units as well as food, metal and textile industries. Haryana and is planning to buy 10,000 crop-residue management machines, besides 109 additional bale-storage areas. Drones will monitor fires in hotspot villages.
