CAQM Reviews NCR Enforcement: 124 Inspections, 55 Violations

The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) took stock of pollution enforcement across the National Capital Region at the 141st meeting of its Enforcement Task Force (ETF), held on 16 October 2026. The review covered inspection findings, compliance levels and the action proposed against defaulters.

The fortnight under review

Over the 15-day window from 25 September to 9 October 2026, field teams filed 124 inspections. These broke up into six at construction and demolition sites, 54 in the industrial sector and 64 covering diesel generator sets. The inspections turned up 55 violations in all: five at construction sites, 35 at industrial units and 15 involving generator sets.

Action proposed

• Closure of two construction and demolition projects and three industrial units.
• Sealing of 12 units across the industrial and generator-set segments.
• Compliance orders in one construction case, five industrial cases and one generator-set case.
• Environmental Compensation, re-inspection, and referral of cases to the Central Pollution Control Board and the State Pollution Control Boards, along with advisories to project proponents.

Resumption and transfers

The Task Force also went over what had been done on cases taken up at its 140th meeting. As on 15 October 2026, three resumption orders had gone out, all of them to construction and demolition sites, two in Haryana and one in Uttar Pradesh. Three further cases, one industrial and two from construction, were handed to the state boards for a final call, one of them from Delhi and two from Haryana.

The cumulative picture

The Commission reviewed the running total of its Flying Squads. As on 16 October 2026 they had inspected 28,868 units, projects and entities across the region. On the strength of those visits 1,837 closure directions had been issued, and 1,491 resumption orders followed once compliance was verified. Another 130 cases went to the state boards or the Delhi Pollution Control Committee for decision, while 216 entities were still awaiting resumption orders.

Sector-wise, as on 15 October 2026, enforcement orders stood at 34 in industry, 29 in construction and demolition and 27 for generator sets. The Commission directed the squads to give priority to Red and Orange category industries, especially those running furnaces and boilers, and to verify full and correct addresses before filing reports, since closure directions and letters had been coming back undelivered.