Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav conducted an interactive session with startups and innovation companies focused on developing practical, scalable, and technology-driven solutions to address air pollution in Delhi-NCR. The meeting, held on October 17, 2026, was part of the 'Saaf Hawa mein Hissedaari, Hum Sabhi ki hai Zimmedaari' campaign and included participation from Union MoS (EFCC) Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, Delhi Environment Minister Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and senior officers from multiple ministries and regulatory bodies including MoEFCC, MoHUA, MoAFW, CAQM, CPCB, and DPCC.
The interaction centered on nine specific problem statements covering key areas of air pollution management, with emphasis on translating innovative technologies into real-world deployable solutions that can deliver measurable impact at source and in real time. The proposed solutions spanned the entire air pollution management chain from detection and monitoring to prediction, enforcement, and mitigation. Specific technologies discussed included tamper-proof systems for Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS), Air Pollution Control Devices (APCD), and Pollution Under Control (PUC) testing; AI-enabled identification of industrial emission violations; real-time monitoring of combustion efficiency and diesel generator emission-control devices; and technologies for detecting and controlling dust at construction and demolition sites.
Innovative approaches presented included low-cost mechanized road sweeping, monitoring road-dust resuspension, portable pothole repair, and modular dust-containment systems. The Minister emphasized the need for integration of OCEMS data with plant-operation data to identify malpractices, city-wide air-quality monitoring, cleaner vehicles, smoother traffic management including tamper-proof PUC monitoring and AI-based prediction of traffic congestion hotspots. He specifically highlighted the need for environment-friendly solutions for scientific management of crop-residue, solid-waste, and construction & demolition waste, along with guidelines on parali storage involving MoAFW, CAQM, and CPCB.
The technological solutions showcased capabilities in AI and machine learning, IoT-based environmental monitoring, pollution analytics, drone-based aerial mapping, remote sensing, advanced sensing systems, and source-level pollution-control technologies. Specific applications included hyperlocal air-quality monitoring, city-wide pollution mapping, hotspot identification and forecasting, AI-based source apportionment, real-time identification of pollution sources, predictive traffic-congestion management, 24x7 detection of stubble and open biomass burning, and automated identification of vehicles without valid PUC certificates and over-aged vehicles.
For waste and residue management, solutions included technology-enabled systems to connect recycled construction and demolition waste products with construction-sector demand, municipal solid waste management, and integrated systems for collection, transportation and productive utilization of paddy straw for bioenergy, biomass fuel, composting, and value-added applications like environmentally friendly packaging. Startups also presented crop-residue-based materials and biochar-based solutions to convert agricultural residue into productive uses.
The engagement represents a proactive initiative to bridge the gap between policymakers and technology innovators, aiming to bring greater uniformity in policy implementation and enhance transparency in governance. The Minister encouraged innovators to align technologies with clearly identified field-level requirements and explore scaling successful solutions through appropriate implementation and monitoring mechanisms.