Environment Minister Reviews Air Pollution Action Plans of Haryana Districts

India’s Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr Bhupender Yadav, today chaired a high-level meeting to undertake a detailed review of the action plans for several districts in Haryana, including Rohtak, Manesar, Panipat and Karnal, to tackle air pollution in these National Capital Region (NCR) cities.

The Minister expressed concern about high PM10 levels and the persistent issues in solid waste management, including construction and demolition (C&D) waste, particularly in industrial areas.

Mr Yadav informed that a meeting with the Haryana Chief Minister would be convened on priority to address these concerns, including matters related to funding and approvals. He also emphasised that all NCR cities should be brought under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) framework.

Reviewing the presentations made by the concerned authorities, Mr Yadav directed that comprehensive data be compiled on industries operating with and without Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO).

The Minister directed the issuance of instructions to all District Magistrates/District Collectors in NCR to collect data on CTO/CTE permissions, total commercial electricity connections, and industrial units with GST registration.

These datasets are to be correlated to identify illegally operating and non-compliant industrial units, particularly with respect to OCEMS and Air Pollution Control Device (APCD) installations. The Minister further directed that the number of automated Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) integrated with the SAMEER App be increased to enable real-time air quality monitoring.

The Minister stressed the need for rigorous awareness generation among stakeholders whose activities contribute to pollution.

Augmentation of public transport facilities was emphasised. He observed that smaller municipal corporations should be provided with appropriately sized commercial electric vehicles for public transport, taking into account road width and passenger footfall.

The use of Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines (MRSMs) and handheld litter pickers was also stressed, with directions that only EV/CNG-based machines be procured under the Op-Ex model.

Under dust control measures, directions were issued to plant local bush varieties in open spaces and on pavements, and to repair potholes in real time.

The Minister also called for the submission of short-term and long-term smart traffic management plans for all the reviewed cities to reduce congestion and vehicular emissions.

It was directed that C&D waste collection facilities be established in a 5 km by 5 km grid, with each facility mapped to the nearest waste processing facility.

The Minister directed officers to take ownership of the issues and demonstrate strong on-ground leadership to address the prevailing challenges through innovative and realistic solutions, while actively involving local stakeholders.

Actionable points emerging from all presentations across NCR cities will be compiled, and CAQM will monitor actions taken in real time.

Targeted actions and fixing of responsibility will be undertaken at regular intervals, with the objective of achieving at least a 15–20 per cent reduction in AQI levels across NCR by 2026.

The meeting was attended by the Chairman, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), senior officers of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), and Municipal Commissioners/District Magistrates of Rohtak, Manesar, Panipat and Karnal.