The Delhi-NCR pollution crackdown has intensified, with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav directing authorities to shut 191 industries that have not installed required pollution-control equipment or are violating environmental rules. The directions include cutting electricity connections and sealing non-compliant units, according to a report by Live Hindustan – NCR.
Yadav issued the instructions during a review meeting on pollution-control measures in Delhi and the National Capital Region on Saturday. The meeting also called for faster action on road dust, traffic congestion, old commercial vehicles, petrol-pump monitoring and the open dumping or burning of waste.
The industries identified for action were described as units that had failed to install pollution-control equipment or were not complying with prescribed standards. Authorities were instructed to disconnect their power supply and initiate sealing action, placing enforcement agencies at the centre of the response rather than relying only on planning or advisory measures.
The minister directed agencies to ensure time-bound, on-ground implementation and to establish coordination and accountability among the departments responsible for pollution control. The review also focused on 233 identified traffic-congestion locations across the NCR, where agencies were told to take corrective steps. Road cleaning and pothole repairs were included among the measures.
The directions cover 154 entry points on Delhi’s borders, where work on a multi-lane free-flow system has been ordered to be completed by December 31. The system is intended to reduce stoppages at entry points, although the report did not provide details of the agencies responsible for construction, the technology to be deployed or the expected reduction in congestion and emissions.
The review meeting was also informed that 3,221 kilometres of roads had been repaired or improved out of a total 5,480 kilometres identified for work. The minister ordered acceleration of plans to replace older polluting trucks and buses with BS6, compressed natural gas and electric vehicles.
Petrol pumps have been directed to speed up the installation of high-tech cameras capable of identifying vehicle number plates. The report links the surveillance system to enforcement of pollution-control standards, but does not specify the number of petrol pumps covered, the agencies that will operate the cameras or the penalties that may follow detection.
Municipal bodies were instructed to take steps against the open dumping and burning of waste. These directions place civic agencies alongside pollution-control authorities and transport departments in the enforcement chain. The latest measures therefore combine industrial compliance, road management, vehicle transition, traffic operations and solid-waste control rather than focusing on a single source of pollution.
The immediate implementation schedule includes action against the 191 industries, faster installation of number-plate recognition cameras at petrol pumps and completion of the multi-lane free-flow system at Delhi’s 154 entry points by December 31. The authorities must also continue work on the remaining road network and the 233 identified congestion points.
