Public submits air pollution reforms to CAQM, seeks AQI cap removal for Delhi-NCR

Proposals include PM2.5 focus, congestion pricing, free transit on bad air days and dashboards for NCAP funds. CAQM says ideas will be assessed for practical rollout.

Residents’ groups, parents and activists across Delhi-NCR have submitted a series of recommendations to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), including health-based pollution alerts, ending the practice of capping the air quality index (AQI) at 500, monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOC) and replacing the pollution under control (PUC)-centric regime with sensor-based, real-world vehicle emission monitoring.

Proposals include PM2.5 focus, congestion pricing, free transit on bad air days and dashboards for NCAP funds. CAQM says ideas will be assessed for practical rollout. (Vipin Kumar/HT)

The CAQM had on January 19 invited public suggestions after releasing its report, “Identification of the Causes for Worsening AQI in Delhi-NCR.” The report said a new emission inventory and source apportionment exercise for Delhi-NCR will be carried out with 2026 as the base year and that suggestions would be accepted till February 10 for incorporation into future action plans.

Over 900 parents and caregivers from Delhi-NCR, under the aegis of Warrior Moms, submitted a four-page letter with 26 recommendations, stating that key gaps lie in execution, transparency, health-centred governance and enforceable NCR-wide accountability. The group called for a strict NCR-wide advisory imposing an immediate moratorium on tree felling and binding directions for a year-round ban on firecrackers.

Warrior Moms, a network of parents demanding clean air, also recommended formally recognising air pollution as a year-round public health emergency with binding annual exposure reduction targets instead of seasonal measures. It urged time-bound repair of potholes and damaged roads, with penalties for agencies and contractors allowing dust-generating surfaces to persist. “Mandate transparent, time-bound utilisation of NCAP funds, with public dashboards on allocations, expenditure, and outcomes, and penalties for chronic under-utilisation,” the letter said.

Resident Welfare Associations across the city also sent submissions. The East Delhi RWAs Joint Front proposed independent auditing of the AQI monitoring system, monitoring of VOC levels, outreach in low-income and high-exposure areas and free distribution of N95 masks. The federation suggested expanding car-free zones and pedestrian streets, redesigning roads to reduce congestion, deploying intelligent traffic management systems and introducing congestion pricing on high-traffic corridors during high pollution periods. It also recommended free metro and bus services during such periods and targeted subsidies for bicycles and e-cycles.

To be sure, AQI readings are currently capped at 500, even when actual pollution levels exceed this threshold, masking the true severity of extreme episodes. At present, none of the air quality monitoring stations in Delhi-NCR track volatile organic compounds (VOCs), leaving a key set of pollutants unmeasured in routine public reporting.

On construction dust, the group called for paving unsealed roads and shutting down sites that violate pollution norms. “Scientific studies indicate that 60-70% of Delhi’s winter pollution originates outside city boundaries,” the group said, urging joint action plans with neighbouring states and third-party audits and retrofitting of emission controls at thermal power plants and industrial sources within a 300km radius.

Amit Gupta, a Noida-based environmental activist, suggested prioritising PM2.5 reduction over PM10 under the National Clean Air Programme. His letter proposed mandatory ride-sharing on cab aggregator platforms during peak hours, annual pollution reduction targets, emission targets for thermal power plants, year-round surveillance to curb garbage burning and firecracker use, FIRs against violators, stronger waste segregation and time-bound road repairs with mandatory dust suppression.

Gupta said an RTI to CPCB showed 35% of pollution-related complaints went unattended last year and suggested legal action against non-performing officers and a system to track complaints. He also proposed mandatory time-bound utilisation of NCAP funds with public disclosure, city-based source apportionment studies, increased staffing in pollution control boards, FASTag-based toll digitisation, removal of severely congested roads and dedicated fast lanes for public transport.

A CAQM official said the suggestions would be examined. “We will compile the list of suggestions and look at innovative and new ideas, which are practical and can be implemented. We will look to finalise them as soon as possible,” the official said.