Delhi Winter Air Plan: 37 Hotspots and No PUCC, No Fuel Drive

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav chaired a high-level meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta to go through the capital's Air Pollution Mitigation Action Plan and settle what more is needed before winter. Delhi's Environment Minister Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa and PWD Minister Shri Pravesh Sahib Singh also attended, along with the CAQM Chairman Shri Rajesh Verma and officials of CPCB, DPCC, MCD, NDMC, DDA and Delhi Metro.

Hotspots and fuel stations

Jan Bhagidari events are to be held at the 37 identified hotspots in the city by October 10, with action points drawn up for each and their progress watched closely. Of the air quality and traffic hotspots, 42 have already been set right and eight more are targeted this month. The 'No PUCC, No Fuel' rule will be enforced in mission mode at all 500 fuel stations fitted with automatic number plate recognition, with penalties for pumps that ignore it.

Transport and roads

A city-wide drive from October 1 to 10 will push the Delhi Metro Sarthi App, with download camps run alongside resident welfare associations. Last-mile connectivity is available at all 228 Metro stations, and the bus fleet has reached 6,840 vehicles, of which 5,088 are electric. Road redevelopment covers 1,193 km so far, with the rest due by November 15; complaints are to be shut within 72 hours. Eight road stretches have been made signal-free and seven more are targeted.

Waste, greening and industry

Material recovery and segregation facilities have gone up to 98 from 76 a year earlier, and ward-level teams are to be in place by October 15 to stop open burning. Delhi reported 71 lakh plantations and the greening of 433 of 434 acres of identified brown areas. Air quality monitoring stations will rise from 47 to 60, an AI-enabled command and control centre will be made operational, and 334 enforcement teams will act against polluting industries.

Winter curbs

Dust-generating demolition and outdoor civil construction will be barred from November 1 to January 31, with a complete ban on construction and demolition between December 10 and January 20. Parking charges will be doubled, office timings staggered and work from home allowed for half the staff. From 1 November, vehicles registered outside Delhi that fall below BS-VI standards will not be allowed in, except CNG and electric ones.