As pollution continues to exact a heavy health toll, accelerating implementation and sustained public engagement remain critical to breathe cleaner futures into reality.
As the Indian capital braces for another winter of choking smog, Delhi’s environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the city’s preparedness under a 17-point winter action plan aimed at curbing air pollution.
The minister urged officials to complete all pending measures before October, warning that delays could intensify the crisis when weather conditions trap pollutants in the city’s air. “Every department must ensure that its share of work is finished on time. Delhi cannot afford a repeat of last year’s emergency,” Sirsa said during the meeting. Senior representatives from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, municipal bodies, transport, public works and police departments participated in the review.
17-Point Plan to Tackle Smog
The winter action plan revolves around 17 specific interventions to combat seasonal spikes in air pollution. These include strict dust control at construction sites, mechanised sweeping of roads, use of mist sprayers and anti-smog guns, prevention of open burning, and coordination with neighbouring states to reduce stubble burning.
According to officials, 219 mist sprayers have been installed across pollution hotspots, while 174 anti-smog guns are being mounted on high-rise buildings and construction projects. Cloud seeding trials are also under consideration as an experimental measure. The Delhi government has further directed civic agencies to intensify checks at construction and demolition sites, often cited as major contributors to dust pollution.
“Progress has been made, but we need to accelerate on-road dust management and waste disposal systems. Enforcement and technology have to go hand in hand,” Sirsa noted.
Enforcement at Record Levels
Alongside planning, enforcement against polluting vehicles and errant operators has reached its highest level in years sources said. For instance, the transport department has been issuing more than 2,500 challans daily for violations of pollution norms, largely for vehicles lacking valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. By August, authorities had logged nearly 6 lakh challans – the most in five years.
Checks on heavy vehicles entering Delhi have also been stepped up. More than 10.8 lakh non-destined goods carriers were screened this year, with over 64,000 turned back at the borders. Parking violations and illegal encroachments have also come under strict watch, with 9.5 lakh penalties issued and more than one lakh vehicles impounded. Officials describe this as part of a “zero-tolerance” strategy towards vehicular pollution, one of the city’s biggest contributors to smog.
At the meeting, departments also reported on the rollout of mechanised road cleaning and dust suppression machines. The city’s sanitation fleet now includes electric and CNG road sweepers, water-sprinkling units, litter pickers and dump vehicles, many fitted with GPS and air quality sensors. Demonstrations earlier this month showcased how these machines could clean up to 40 kilometres in a single shift while spraying thousands of litres of water to settle dust.
Delhi Still the World’s Most Polluted City
Despite these measures, Delhi remains the world’s most polluted capital, according to recent analysis by Health Policy Watch. The city recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 88.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2024–25, far exceeding safe limits set by the World Health Organization.
The health impacts are staggering. Prolonged exposure to Delhi’s air pollution is estimated to cut the average resident’s life expectancy by 8.2 years, only a slight improvement from the 10-year loss calculated in 2018. Scientists warn that while India overall has seen modest improvements in air quality, Delhi continues to stand out as the most hazardous environment for breathing.
Experts have also called for more health-focused air quality communication. Instead of relying only on the Air Quality Index (AQI), they recommend using an Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), which links pollutant levels directly to health outcomes. On ‘severe’ days in Delhi, the AQHI would indicate a potential 16 per cent surge in daily mortality, equating to around 40 additional deaths in the city.
“Numbers like PM2.5 levels do not always resonate with the public. A health index could better convey risks and encourage people to take precautions,” said researchers behind the study.
Mixed Progress Under National Programme
The city’s mixed track record under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) has also raised concerns. Delhi has succeeded in cutting coarse PM10 levels by 15 per cent since 2017–18, but remains the worst among 130 cities identified as “non-attainment” areas where national standards are not met. Financial utilisation has also been low, with the city spending just 22 per cent of its NCAP funds so far.
But, not all interventions have found favour with residents. A proposal to install 150 air purifiers at Nehru Park was shelved earlier this year after a survey revealed that fewer than four in ten respondents supported it. Many favoured planting more trees instead. Officials acknowledged the limited efficacy of smog towers in open areas and stressed that resources would be redirected towards broader measures such as dust suppression and vehicular checks.
Even with an elaborate winter action plan and unprecedented enforcement, experts warn that Delhi’s battle against pollution is far from won. Cross-border crop burning, industrial emissions, household fuels, and the sheer volume of vehicles on its roads make the task formidable.
Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, while noting the improvements in preparedness, admitted the challenge remains daunting. “Our people deserve clean air, and while we are pushing harder than ever, the cooperation of neighbouring states and the public is equally vital,” he said.
For Delhi’s nearly 30 million residents, the coming weeks will test whether the city’s multi-pronged strategies can meaningfully reduce the haze that has become synonymous with its winters.
Image: Wikimedia
