Delhi gasps for clean air; govt moves with resolve for permanent fix of air pollution in coming year

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) Air pollution will remain one of the biggest challenges before the Delhi government in the coming year, even as it launched a slew of measures, including a cloud-seeding trial, deployment of anti-smog guns and mist sprayers.

Delhi’s air pollution has long remained a challenge for successive governments, particularly during the winter months, when the Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently breaches the 300 mark and on several days worsens to over 400 in the "severe" category.

The BJP-led government, which assumed office on February 20 after over three decades, rolled out a series of high-impact measures, including a pilot cloud-seeding project in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

The Delhi Cabinet on May 7 approved a proposal to conduct five cloud-seeding trials at a total cost of Rs 3.21 crore and later signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur on September 25 to carry out the trials, all of which are planned in northwest Delhi.

However, the exercise faced multiple postponements due to unfavourable weather and monsoon conditions, with earlier deadlines set for May-end, early June, August, September and later the second week of October.

Marking it the third attempt after 1957 and 1971-72, the latest cloud-seeding trials were carried out, after a gap of about 50 years, at the end of October, following clearances from 13 departments, they said.

The Delhi government also launched the "Winter Air Pollution Control Action Plan" for 2025-26 in October, ahead of the peak smog season. The action plan is a comprehensive 17-point framework, aimed at tackling dust, vehicular emissions, construction pollution, waste burning and industrial discharges.

Under the action plan, authorities deployed anti-smog guns and mist sprayers across the national capital to suppress airborne particulate matter, while mechanised road sweepers and water sprinklers were pressed into service to improve ground-level dust control.

So far, over 150 anti-smog guns have been installed in high-rise buildings across the city, while more than 500 mist-spraying systems have been mounted on poles, with a target of installing 2,500 such units.

The measures were complemented by enforcement drives, with officials issuing challans for pollution-related violations and stepping up vehicle checks at border points.

The Delhi government has also announced plans to set up six new air-quality monitoring stations at key locations, including Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and Delhi Cantonment.

Once operational, the total number of air-monitoring stations in the city will rise to 46. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in March.

In addition, the government will install 32 water-quality monitoring stations along the Yamuna and major city drains to obtain real-time data on pollution levels.

The government has also set timelines to clear Delhi’s three major legacy garbage dumps at Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur, with plans to fully remediate the sites and develop green spaces and forests on the reclaimed land.

Further, the Delhi government has declared the 41-square-kilometre Southern Ridge as a "Reserved Forest", a move aimed at significantly increasing green cover in the city and improving air quality.

This year was no different. Between November and December so far, Delhi recorded 41 days with AQI levels above 300 in the ‘very poor’ category and eight days when the index crossed 400, placing air quality in the "severe" category - a level that impacts even healthy individuals. PTI NSM NSM SHS SHS