Chandigarh, April 24 – The Haryana Government will establish 23 new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) in the NCR region for accurate monitoring of air quality. In addition, an Aggregator Policy will soon be introduced to regulate cab and ride-sharing services operating in the state.
Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi conducted a comprehensive review of various initiatives related to controlling air pollution and air quality management in the National Capital Region (NCR). During the high-level meeting, special emphasis was laid on the effective implementation of a multi-sectoral action plan aimed at reducing pollution levels by 30–35 percent.
The Chief Secretary directed the Municipal Commissioners of NCR cities as well as the metropolitan development authorities of Gurugram, Faridabad, and Sonipat to identify at least five major roads and develop them as model “dust-free” roads. In this regard, a comprehensive and time-bound action plan should be prepared, covering everything from the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the year 2026 to the completion of the work.
He said that pollution caused by transport, construction and demolition activities, and industrial emissions must be effectively controlled through precise planning and timely execution.
Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forest and Wildlife Department, Sh. Sudhir Rajpal stressed the need for intensive inspection of vehicular pollution in the region. He said that compliance with vehicle emission standards must be strictly enforced at the ground level and special inspection drives should be conducted on busy routes in NCR against highly polluting vehicles. He also emphasized the use of advanced technology for monitoring emissions from moving vehicles and issuing challans based on such monitoring.
Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi directed the Transport Department to collect data from pollution checking centers regarding the number of cases where certificates were denied or where emissions were found to be above the prescribed limits.
Additional Chief Secretary, Transport Department, Dr. Raja Sekhar Vundru informed that an Aggregator Policy will soon be introduced to regulate cab and ride-sharing services operating in the state. This will bring a large fleet of private vehicles under a regulatory framework and ensure that aggregator-linked vehicles comply with prescribed emission standards and contribute to the overall efforts to reduce transport-related pollution in the region.
He further informed that, in compliance with the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), diesel autos have been almost completely phased out in major NCR districts, and the remaining areas will complete the phased withdrawal by December 31, 2026.
He also shared information about the “Naya Safar Yojana,” under which around 1.9 lakh old trucks and 16,000 buses will be replaced with BS-6, CNG, and electric vehicles. Financial incentives and tax concessions will be provided under the scheme.
Chairman, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Sh. J. Ganesan informed that the number of CAAQMS stations in NCR will be increased from 29 to 52 by July 2026 for accurate air quality monitoring. Tenders for this will be floated in the first week of May.
Member Secretary of the Board, Sh. Yogesh Kumar informed that 889 industrial units had been directed to install Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS), out of which 871 units have already installed the system and 735 units are actively sharing data. All large and medium industries have been directed to upgrade pollution control equipment by July, while small industries must complete the process by September 2026.
Director General, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Sh. Raj Narayan informed that incidents of paddy stubble burning have reduced by more than 90 percent compared to the year 2016. He also stated that a shortage of around 13,000 CRM machines has been identified, which will be fulfilled before the paddy harvesting season.
Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi also reviewed the City Action Plans for the year 2026 of seven Municipal Corporations in NCR. Municipal Commissioners participated in the meeting through video conferencing. These action plans adopt a 360-degree approach to reducing air pollution, ensuring coordinated roles of departments including Transport, Police, GMDA, FMDA, SMDA, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Forest, Public Works, NHAI, Energy, and Industries.
The action plan includes road dust control, reduction in construction and demolition emissions, resolution of traffic congestion points, expansion of air monitoring networks, last-mile connectivity, end-to-end road pavement, expansion of green areas, development of electric buses and EV charging infrastructure, and expansion of parking facilities. In addition, a target has been set to completely eliminate legacy solid waste by March 31, 2027.
Municipal Corporations are also planning to establish processing plants for construction and demolition waste management and one secondary collection point for every 25 square kilometers.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of dust control measures through mechanized road sweeping machines, water sprinklers, and anti-smog guns.
