To curb pollution, Delhi govt unveils 21-point Winter Action Plan

Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday unveiled a 21-point Winter Action Plan, featuring a range of measures such as drone monitoring, an anti-dust campaign, road-sweeping machines and the deployment of 200 mobile anti-smog guns to combat air pollution. He also encouraged work-from-home policies, along with odd-even vehicle scheme and artificial rain as emergency measures.

This year, our theme is Mil Kar Chale, Pradushan Se Lade. We will encourage work from home and a voluntary reduction in the use of private vehicles. If necessary, the odd-even scheme will be implemented and artificial rain is also an option that we are exploring. Gopal Rai, Environment Minister

Rai said, for the first time, drones would be deployed at 13 critical locations across the city to identify sources of pollution and facilitate targeted actions. Additionally, a six-member special task force has been formed, including officials from the Environment Department, Transport Department, Revenue Department, Public Works Department, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Traffic Police.

“Delhi is fully prepared to tackle winter pollution,” the minister said. He also noted that the efforts of Delhi’s residents and government agencies have led to a significant reduction in pollution levels, approximately 34.6 per cent over the past few years.

The plan includes strict enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the event of worsening pollution levels along with collaborating with both the Central Government and neighbouring states.

Since stubble burning is a major contributor to pollution, bio-decomposers will be sprayed over 5,000 acres of farmland to mitigate its harmful effects.

In addition, construction sites will be closely monitored, and measures to reduce vehicular pollution will be implemented, including a ban on the open burning of waste. “In 2016, there were 243 days of pollution; in 2023, this reduced to 159,” Rai highlighted. He also mentioned that Delhi’s 1,959 registered industrial units have switched from polluting fuels to piped natural gas.

To ensure the effective implementation of the plan, the government will re-launch the Green War Room, which will monitor environmental indicators in real-time and enable swift action against pollution sources. The public can also register complaints through the Green Delhi app.

Rai noted that nearly two-thirds of Delhi’s pollution originates from sources outside the city and called for collective regional efforts to tackle this issue. He suggested converting public transport in NCR states to CNG or electric vehicles and enforcing a complete ban on fireworks across the region.

The government will launch an anti-dust campaign from October 7, during which strict penalties will be imposed on violators. All major construction projects will be required to register on a dedicated monitoring web portal, with regular inspections to ensure compliance with dust control regulations. To combat road dust, 85 road-sweeping machines and 500 water sprinklers will be deployed across the city.

Rai also announced the introduction of mobile anti-smog guns that would operate in three shifts during periods of elevated pollution levels. These efforts are part of a broader public engagement campaign titled ‘Milkar Chale, Pradushan Se Lade’ (Let’s fight pollution together), encouraging citizen participation in pollution control initiatives. Other initiatives include the ‘Harit Kalash Yatra’, ‘e-vehicle parade’, ‘anti-pollution march’ and the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign.

The minister said to encourage proactive pollution control, the government will introduce the Harit Ratan Award that would be given to those, whether from the government, the private sector or organisations, who perform exceptionally well in reducing pollution.

The plan also includes the deployment of 360 teams to inspect Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates to combat vehicular pollution. The ban on older diesel and petrol vehicles will be strictly enforced, along with efforts to reduce traffic congestion by suggesting alternate routes to commuters.

He said special initiatives will include the ‘Harit Padyatra’, where participants will walk with plants on their heads to raise awareness about greenery.

Meanwhile, Federation of Sadar Bazar Trades’ Association chairman Paramjit Singh Pamma warned the Delhi Government that if the odd-even scheme is implemented, traders will oppose it. He explained that the upcoming festive season is crucial for business, and such a decision would negatively impact trade. As a result, buyers from outside Delhi may turn to other markets, causing losses worth crores to Delhi’s businesses.