Steady, wide-ranging progress made in fight against air pollution in Delhi-NCR: Haryana

Chandigarh, Dec 15 (PTI) Haryana on Monday presented a picture of steady and wide-ranging progress in its fight against air pollution in the Delhi-NCR, as the state's clean air initiatives, from farm-level stubble management to electric mobility and waste remediation, came under review at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.

The review, aligned with directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, assessed Action Taken Reports (ATR) and finalised State and City Action Plans for 2025-26.

Detailed city-specific strategies for NCR municipal corporations -- Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Karnal, Panipat, Rohtak and Manesar -- were discussed during the meeting.

A key highlight of the meeting was Haryana's sustained push to curb stubble burning through large-scale adoption of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery.

Since 2018-19, over one lakh CRM machines have been distributed to farmers on subsidy at a cost of Rs 932 crore, enabling in-situ management of paddy straw across villages. Custom hiring centres are being closely monitored to ensure access for small and marginal farmers, an official statement said.

Parallelly, ex-situ utilisation has gained momentum, with paddy straw being channelled to pelletisation units, thermal power plants, brick kilns and industries. Several Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants across Jhajjar, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Fatehabad and Panipat are now operational, collectively consuming thousands of tonnes of paddy straw annually and converting agricultural waste into clean energy.

Thermal power plants within 300 km of Delhi have crossed key sustainability milestones.

As of November, all operational units have exceeded six per cent biomass co-firing, with at least 50 per cent paddy straw, barring one unit under scheduled maintenance.

Plants at Khedar, Panipat, Yamunanagar and Jhajjar reported significant biomass consumption, reflecting a shift towards cleaner power generation, the statement said.

Brick kilns in non-National Capital Region (NCR) districts have also begun mandatory 20 per cent biomass co-firing, backed by revised consents and inspections.

The state's electric mobility programme is gaining traction, with 60 e-buses already operating across 10 cities, including Gurugram, Panipat and Karnal. More buses are in the pipeline, with approvals in place for over 800 e-buses under different procurement models. Old BS-III and BS-IV diesel buses have been shifted out of NCR districts to reduce emissions.

Urban dust mitigation featured prominently, with NCR cities deploying mechanised road sweepers, water sprinklers and anti-smog guns at identified hotspots. Action plans for end-to-end paving and greening of major roads have been submitted to CAQM.

On waste management, Haryana is progressing towards clearing over 14 lakh metric tonnes of legacy municipal solid waste by December 2025, barring Gurugram, where remediation is targeted by 2028.

New waste-to-fuel plants for Gurugram and Faridabad are expected to bridge existing processing gaps. Construction and demolition waste processing capacity is also being expanded, with recycled material increasingly used in construction works.

Industries have been directed to complete the installation of online continuous emission monitoring systems by December, with daily monitoring by the pollution control board.

Emission control devices, DG set retrofits and compliance with thermal power plant emission norms were also reviewed during the meeting.

Officials said the meeting underscored Haryana's integrated and time-bound approach to air quality management, driven by inter-departmental coordination and strict monitoring.

With winter pollution challenges looming, the state expressed confidence that its sustained measures would translate into cleaner air across the NCR. PTI SUN KSS KSS