In a bold move to combat Delhi-NCR’s notorious smog, Haryana’s government is set to establish 23 more air quality monitoring stations, elevating the count to 52 by mid-year. This comes amid heightened scrutiny on the region’s choking pollution levels.
Disclosed during Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi’s chaired review session on air quality management, the plan pairs with forthcoming transport aggregator regulations and an 11-month deadline to clear legacy waste dumps.
Deadlines are non-negotiable, Rastogi warned, stressing inter-departmental synergy for enduring gains. He tasked urban local bodies and metro development authorities in Gurugram, Faridabad, and Sonipat with selecting five major roads each for dust-free upgrades, complete with timed DPRs and execution roadmaps.
Pollution hotspots from vehicles, building sites, wrecking operations, and factories demand targeted interventions, he added.
Environment ACS Sudhir Raj Pal pushed for vehicle emission crackdowns, advocating stricter rule enforcement, ramped-up inspections in congestion-prone areas, and tech-driven smoke detection for real-time penalties.
Transport officials will now aggregate PUC data, flagging non-compliant cases. Principal Secretary Raja Shekhar Vundru detailed the aggregator policy to organize private fleets, slashing emissions.
Diesel autos are vanishing from major districts, with a year-end phase-out elsewhere. The ‘Naya Safar’ scheme incentivizes replacing aging trucks and buses with green alternatives like BS-6 compliant and EVs.
As summer haze looms, these measures could redefine NCR’s air quality trajectory, offering hope to residents weary of seasonal smog.
