Bhupender Yadav Reviews Ghaziabad, Noida Air Pollution Plans, Stresses Strict Action

The review was conducted in a structured and prescribed format, as directed by the Minister during an earlier review meeting held on 03 December 2025.

 

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, today chaired a high-level review meeting to comprehensively assess the city-specific action plans of Ghaziabad and Noida aimed at curbing air pollution. This meeting marked the first in a planned series of reviews of National Capital Region (NCR) cities, which will culminate in a State-level review in the coming days. The exercise is part of the government’s intensified push to strengthen on-ground implementation and ensure measurable improvements in air quality.

The review was conducted in a structured and prescribed format, as directed by the Minister during an earlier review meeting held on 03 December 2025. The objective was to assess the actual progress made by city administrations, identify gaps, and align future actions with clearly defined and outcome-oriented parameters.

Senior officers from Ghaziabad and Noida made detailed presentations outlining the actions undertaken so far. The Minister and officials reviewed these action plans against key parameters critical to air pollution mitigation. These included the adoption of smart traffic management systems to reduce vehicular congestion and emissions; compliance of industrial units with prescribed pollution control norms; and the current status of commercial electric vehicle (EV) fleets along with the availability and expansion of charging infrastructure.

The review also focused on efforts to strengthen end-to-end public transport systems and improve parking facilities, reduce road dust through comprehensive paving and tiling of roads, and enhance infrastructure for the management of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste as well as Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), including legacy waste dumps. Other parameters included the deployment of Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines (MRSMs), use of anti-smog guns and water sprinklers, greening of pathways and open spaces, and promotion of Jan Bhagidari initiatives such as information, education and communication (IEC) activities and app-based grievance redressal systems.

Shri Yadav took a detailed update from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the installation of Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) in industrial units that are yet to comply. He reviewed the status of on-site inspections and the handholding support being extended to industries for installation of these systems. The Minister categorically directed strict adherence to the 31 December 2025 deadline for OCEMS installation and instructed authorities to initiate stringent action against non-compliant units. He further directed CPCB and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) to intensify inspections of polluting and delinquent industries, particularly in peri-urban areas, and ensure prompt corrective measures.

The Minister requested the Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi-NCR (CAQM) to further refine and standardise the parameters used for implementing city action plans and to collate these metrics for a comprehensive review of progress across the entire Delhi-NCR region. He emphasised the need to upgrade the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) framework so that allocation of central funds is more rational and performance-linked, thereby incentivising better-performing cities.

Highlighting the importance of public participation, Shri Yadav stressed that pollution control efforts must evolve into a true Jan Bhagidari movement. He called for active involvement of public representatives, resident welfare associations and citizens in the implementation of action plans and greening activities to ensure sustained behavioural change at the grassroots level.

Offering specific suggestions, the Minister advised municipal authorities to collaborate closely with State Forest Departments for greening initiatives. He recommended plantation of indigenous, heat-resistant and low-water-requiring varieties of bushes and grasses to ensure ecological sustainability. He also underlined the need for integrated waste management plans through coordinated efforts of various government and municipal agencies, cautioning against siloed approaches and duplication of resources. CAQM was requested to develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for optimal utilisation of urban open spaces for greening and improved urban planning.

The Minister further suggested undertaking a dedicated study to identify high-traffic corridors and popular routes for bulk movement in the Delhi-NCR region. Based on such studies, he called for the provision of robust, end-to-end public transport facilities at least along these major routes to reduce dependence on private vehicles. Emphasising long-term planning, he noted that municipal action plans must be future-ready, including advance identification of urban sites for processing the growing volumes of MSW and C&D waste in rapidly expanding cities.

The meeting was attended by the Chairman of CAQM, Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), senior officials of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, representatives of the Uttar Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (UPSPCB), and senior district and municipal officials, including the District Magistrate and Municipal Commissioner of Ghaziabad and the Chief Executive Officer of the Noida Authority.