CAQM's enforcement task force reviews air pollution control measures in NCR; 17 units ordered to close
New Delhi, August 2
The 136th meeting of the Enforcement Task Force of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas was held on Friday to review enforcement actions, inspections and compliance status across the National Capital Region for the reporting period from July 14 to July 24, 2026.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, during the reporting period of 11 days, a total of 159 inspections were carried out by the Flying Squads deployed by the Commission, covering key sectors including 22 inspections across Construction & Demolition (C&D) sites, 97 inspections across the Industrial Sector and 40 inspections related to Diesel Generator (DG) sets.
Based on the inspection reports received for reported violations, closure of 17 projects/ industries (11 C&D sites & 06 Industries), sealing of 11 DG sets, issuance of 08 orders/ directions for compliance and imposition of Environmental Compensation (EC) in 05 cases have been proposed. Further, one C&D project has been proposed for re-inspection and 01 advisory has been proposed for an industrial unit.
The Enforcement Task Force also reviewed the status of compliance with the decisions taken during the 135th ETF meeting and noted that all actionable cases pertaining to the Industrial Sector, C&D Sector and DG sets have been acted upon. Further, 07 resumption orders have been issued after verification of compliance, comprising 02 Industrial Units and 05 C&D projects. State-wise, 02 resumption orders have been issued in Haryana and 05 in Uttar Pradesh.
Further, the updated cumulative enforcement status as on July 31 was reviewed. It was noted that the Flying Squads of the Commission have so far carried out inspections at 28,084 units/ projects/ entities across NCR. Based on these inspections, 1,805 Closure Directions have been issued, out of which 1,456 Resumption Orders have been issued after verification of compliance. Further, 126 cases have been transferred to the respective State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/ Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) for final decision, while 223 entities remain under examination for issuance of resumption orders.
The Enforcement Task Force also reviewed the status of inspections of redeveloped roads undertaken in accordance with the Standard Framework issued by the Commission. During the review, inspections covering 106 road stretches with a cumulative length of approximately 38 kilometres were carried out in Municipal Corporations of Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurugram.
While all 42 road stretches inspected in Ghaziabad were found to have complete end-to-end paving, inspection of 50 road stretches (09 Kms.) in Faridabad observed to have end-to-end paving on 38 road stretches only and inspection of 14 road stretches (22 Kms.) in Gurugram observed to have end-to-end paving on 11 road stretches. The concerned Municipal Corporations have accordingly been directed to undertake necessary corrective measures in accordance with the Standard Framework prescribed by the Commission.
The Commission reiterated the need for strengthening enforcement, ensuring timely compliance verification and enhancing coordination among implementing agencies for effective implementation of the prescribed norms. The Commission also emphasised continued focus on expeditious enforcement actions, strict compliance monitoring and active inspections across priority sectors including Industrial Units, C&D activities, DG sets, and road works to ensure effective mitigation of air pollution across the NCR.
— ANI
Reader Comments
At least they're being consistent with inspections now. 159 inspections in 11 days is decent. But I wish they'd focus more on the DG sets - we're in August and the real test will come in October-November when the smog season starts. Need more preventive action before then, not just reactive closures. 😷
The resumption orders are the real story here - 1,456 out of 1,805 closures have been reopened after compliance. That proves the system works! Units are fixing their pollution controls and getting back to business. This is how enforcement should be - not just punishing, but ensuring compliance and economic continuity.
The Ghaziabad municipal corporation deserves appreciation - 42/42 road stretches fully paved! Faridabad and Gurugram need to catch up. Also concerning that 223 entities are still "under examination" - that's a lot of pending cases. The Commission needs to clear this backlog before the winter pollution peak hits.
As someone who moved to Delhi-NCR recently, I appreciate the transparency in reporting these numbers. But 38 km of road inspections seems inadequate when the NCR has thousands of kilometers of roads. Need more proactive dust management - I see construction sites with no water sprinkling or dust screens every day in Gurgaon.
These numbers show we're still barely scratching the surface. 126 cases transferred to SPCBs for "final decisions" - that's concerning because state boards have historically been slow. The Commission should keep these cases in-house or set strict timelines for state
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