Delhi Air Pollution Mitigation and E-Mobility Initiatives
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta conducted a comprehensive review of air pollution mitigation measures at the Anand Vihar hotspot and visited the AI-enabled Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee at Shastri Park on October 13, 2026.
The dignitaries virtually inaugurated public EV charging stations at five locations: ISBT Anand Vihar, Nand Nagri depot, Rohini Sector-37 depot, Nangloi depot, and Keshopur depot. They simultaneously flagged off 150 new electric buses at Swami Vivekanand ISBT in Anand Vihar, significantly expanding Delhi's clean mobility infrastructure under the Sewa Sankalp Abhiyaan initiative.
At the Anand Vihar hotspot, officials reported that the area had previously suffered from severe air pollution due to multiple factors including traffic congestion from commuting buses at the bus terminal, road dust from unpaved roads and roadsides, potholes, unpaved parking areas, incomplete terminal paving, construction and demolition activities, garbage and plastic dumping, and open waste burning. Through coordinated efforts of 11 assigned agencies, short-term and long-term mitigation measures were implemented including paving internal roads, removing encroachments, enforcing green netting and dust control measures at construction sites, eliminating illegal C&D waste dumping, reducing traffic congestion, and initiating greening activities. The Union Minister declared that the persistent air pollution issue at this hotspot has now been contained.
The AI-enabled ICCC at Shastri Park serves as a unified digital platform integrating data on air quality, dust-control sites, ambient noise levels, industrial emissions, stubble-burning incidents, citizen grievances, and enforcement vehicles. The center is designed to integrate 15 external data systems, with 9 already integrated and the remaining 6 being connected in phases, enabling real-time monitoring, data-driven decision-making, and coordinated enforcement actions across agencies.
The ministers virtually inaugurated 13 new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) installed by DPCC across Delhi at specific locations: SKV Ghummanhera, GBSSS Chhawla, GBSSS Karala, GGSSS Hastsal, GBSSS Jharoda Kalan, DJB Ghoga, DJB Burari, DTL Tikri Kalan, NIH Narela, AIIMS-CAPFIMS Maidan Garhi, Maharaja Surajmal Stadium Nangloi, Maharaja Agrasen College Vasundhara Enclave, and NTPC Eco Park Badarpur. These stations provide continuous, time-resolved air quality and meteorological data to support scientific assessment, regulatory enforcement, and public dissemination of AQI through the CPCB server and SAMEER mobile app.
The air quality monitoring network in Delhi has expanded significantly with this addition. Previously, Delhi had 47 existing CAAQMS operated by various agencies including DPCC, CPCB, IMD, IITM, and MoHUA. With the 13 new stations, the network now totals 60 stations. The monitoring grid has achieved coverage of one station per 25 square kilometers (5 km × 5 km grid) in Delhi, with plans to expand this grid to other NCR cities. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of coverage in peri-urban and suburban areas for assessing pollution inflow and outflow patterns.
Other dignitaries present included Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa (Minister for Environment, Forest & Wildlife, GNCTD), Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh (Minister for Transport, GNCTD), and Shri Harsh Malhotra (Member of Parliament, East Delhi and Union MoS for Road Transport and Highways), along with senior officials from both Union and NCT Delhi Governments.