Union minister flags gaps in Rajasthan, Punjab pollution plans

Rajasthan was asked to fix public transport gaps, curb truck parking and fast-track electric buses, while Punjab was urged to boost stubble control.

Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday chaired a high-level review of pollution control action plans submitted by Rajasthan and Punjab, directing both states to shift from broad intent to tightly monitored, sector-wise execution to address air pollution in the Delhi-NCR. This was the fifth review in an ongoing series.

The Centre assured states of inter-state coordination meetings to resolve implementation hurdles during execution. (HT Archive)

Expressing concern over persistently poor air quality across seasons, Yadav said the Centre would begin monthly ministerial-level reviews of state action plans from January 2026. He directed states to prepare targeted, sector-wise plans with clear departmental accountability, noting that plans drawn up nearly eight months in advance should lead to visible improvement in the next pollution season. He assured states that implementation hurdles would be addressed through regular inter-state coordination meetings.

Reviewing Rajasthan’s plan, Yadav flagged gaps in public transport in Alwar, Bhiwadi, Neemrana and Bharatpur, and asked for priority procurement of electric buses with fixed timelines. He also sought faster rollout of charging infrastructure, action against unplanned truck parking on highways in Bhiwadi and Neemrana, city-specific traffic decongestion and road redevelopment plans, wider use of mechanical road sweepers, liquidation of legacy waste, strict action against non-compliant industries, focused awareness campaigns and greening using local species.