Delhi govt forms 3 panels to aid in fight against air pollution

Delhi environment minister said the committee will ensure time-bound execution, strict monitoring, and effective implementation of all directions and action plans.

New Delhi

The expert group will recommend measures for the prevention, control, abatement, and mitigation of air pollution in the city.

The Delhi government on Saturday announced the formation of three panels to aid in the city’s fight against air pollution, officials aware of the matter said. An 11-member expert group and a 16-member implementation committee will help with the fight against pollution on the ground, while an eight-member third group, formulated as part of the Government’s Innovation Challenge 2025, will identify the best technological solutions to mitigate air pollution in the Capital.

Delhi’s environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced the formation of the panels after chief minister Rekha Gupta had on Wednesday announced the formation of an air pollution expert panel. The constitution of the group and its members were not announced then. Sirsa said the two committees underscore the government’s commitment to mitigating air pollution in the capital.

“The expert group will recommend measures for the prevention, control, abatement, and mitigation of air pollution in the national capital. Comprising leading domain experts, the group will serve as a much-needed think tank acting as a friend, philosopher, and guide to the Delhi government in its fight against pollution,” Sirsa said.

The 11-member expert group is headed by Leena Nanda, a former secretary in the Union environment ministry, as its chairperson. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) chairperson will meanwhile be the group’s member secretary. Other experts include former Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) official JS Kamyotra, professor Mukesh Khare from IIT Delhi, professor Mukesh Sharma from IIT Kanpur, Dr Suneel Pandey, director of circular economy and waste management at TERI; secretary from state environment department and representatives from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD), among others.

The implementation group, consisting of 16 members, will be headed by Delhi’s chief secretary as its chairperson, and the special secretary (environment and forest) will be the member-convener.

Sirsa said the high-level implementation committee will ensure time-bound execution, strict monitoring, and effective implementation of all directions and action plans issued by the government, courts and other statutory bodies. “Both the expert group and the implementation committee shall work in close coordination one serving as the brain, and the other as the arm of our collective effort,” Sirsa said.

He said the third group will be headed by IIT-Delhi professor Sagnik Dey and will help choose the best options from 278 technological ideas received by the government to tackle pollution. “They will choose the best ideas which can be implemented on the ground,” Sirsa said.

Sirsa also issued strict directions to all district magistrates and commissioners to survey all industries in their areas within seven days, identify non-compliant units, and take action against them. Instructions were also given to survey all undeveloped patches, broken roads, and potholes, with data to be submitted immediately.

While deciding on the panel formation in a meeting, Sirsa was apprised by the DPCC that it had conducted inspections at 1,756 construction sites, issued 556 notices, imposed penalties to the tune of ₹7 crore, and enforced 48 closures for non-compliance.

The inspections were carried out not just at private sites but also at those maintained by government agencies, which accounted for ₹1 crore of penalties. “Strict action has been taken without bias—whether the violator is a private builder or a government agency,” Sirsa said.

Sirsa said the government will soon sign an MoU with IIT Delhi and IITM, Pune, for a pollution source apportionment study to scientifically identify and address city-specific pollution sources.

“This will further strengthen the government’s data-backed approach to air quality management,” he said, issuing strict directions for retrofitting all BS-IV and below generators with anti-pollution devices. “No generator—domestic or commercial—will be allowed to operate without retrofitting. Violators will face heavy penalties,” he said.