**Executive Summary**
The Union Environment Minister chaired a meeting on January 20, 2026, to review air pollution action plans for Rohtak, Manesar, Panipat, and Karnal (NCR cities). The meeting focused on industrial compliance, waste management, and expanding real-time air quality monitoring. The goal is to achieve a 15-20% reduction in AQI levels across the NCR by 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Air Pollution Concerns and Goals:**
* Concern expressed over high PM10 levels and solid waste management issues (including C&D waste).
* Emphasis on bringing all NCR cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) framework.
* Targeted actions and fixing of responsibility will be undertaken at regular intervals.
* Goal to achieve a 15-20% reduction in AQI levels across NCR by 2026.
* **Industrial Compliance:**
* Comprehensive data compilation on industries operating with/without Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO).
* Data collection on CTO/CTE permissions, electricity connections, and industrial units with GST registration.
* Correlation of data to identify illegally operating and non-compliant industrial units.
* Increased number of automated Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) integrated with the SAMEER App.
* **Waste Management and Public Transport:**
* Smaller municipal corporations should be provided with appropriately sized commercial electric vehicles for public transport.
* Augmentation of public transport facilities.
* Use of Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines (MRSMs) and handheld litter pickers.
* Procurement of EV/CNG-based machines under the Op-Ex model.
* Establishment of C&D waste collection facilities in a 5 km by 5 km grid, mapped with the nearest waste processing facility.
* **Dust Control and Traffic Management:**
* Plantation of local bush varieties in open spaces and on pavements.
* Real-time repair of potholes.
* Submission of short-term and long-term smart traffic management plans to reduce congestion and vehicular emissions.
* **Leadership and Monitoring:**
* Officers to take ownership of issues and demonstrate on-ground leadership.
* Compilation of actionable points from presentations across NCR cities.
* Real-time monitoring of action taken by CAQM.
**Impact Analysis**
**NCR Cities (Rohtak, Manesar, Panipat, Karnal):**
* **Impact**: Development and review of Action Plans to tackle air pollution. Strict adherence to industrial compliance and waste management regulations is mandatory.
* **Action Required**: Compile actionable points from presentations and report to the CAQM for monitoring and implement short-term and long-term smart traffic management plans.
**Industries Operating in NCR:**
* **Impact**: Increased scrutiny of compliance with CTE and CTO regulations, OCEMS, and APCD installations.
* **Action Required**: Ensure compliance with all environmental regulations and provide necessary data to authorities.
**District Magistrates/District Collectors in NCR:**
* **Impact**: Responsibility for collecting and providing comprehensive data on industrial operations within their jurisdiction.
* **Action Required**: Collect data on CTO/CTE permissions, electricity connections, and GST registrations for industrial units.
**Municipal Corporations:**
* **Impact**: Obligation to improve waste management practices and public transportation.
* **Action Required**: Implement measures to improve waste management, augment public transport facilities (electric vehicles), and procure appropriate cleaning equipment.
**CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management):**
* **Impact**: Responsible for monitoring action taken across NCR cities and overall progress.
* **Action Required**: Conduct real-time monitoring of action taken by cities, compile actionable points, and oversee targeted actions to reduce AQI levels.
Key Entities Referenced
National Capital Region (NCR): A geographical region surrounding Delhi where air quality action plans are being reviewed.
Rohtak, Manesar, Panipat and Karnal: Cities within the National Capital Region (NCR) whose air pollution action plans are being reviewed.
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): A national initiative under which NCR cities should be brought.
Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM): The organization responsible for real-time monitoring of actions taken to improve air quality in the reviewed cities.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC): The ministry responsible for overseeing the air quality action plans.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Union Environment Minister reviews Air Pollution
Action Plans of Rohtak, Manesar, Panipat and
Karnal
Stress given on Industrial Compliance, Waste Management
and Expansion of Real-Time Air Quality Monitoring
प्रव तथ: 20 JAN 2026 6:14PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav today chaired a high-
level meeting to undertake a detailed review of the Action Plans of Rohtak, Manesar, Panipat and Karnal
for tackling air pollution in these National Capital Region (NCR) cities.
The Minister expressed concern over the high levels of PM and the persistent issues related to solid
10
waste management, including construction and demolition (C&D) waste, particularly in industrial areas.
Shri Yadav informed that a meeting with the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Haryana would be
convened to address these concerns, including matters related to funding and approvals, on priority. He
also emphasised that all NCR cities should be brought under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
framework.
Reviewing the presentations made by the concerned authorities, Shri Yadav directed that comprehensive
data be compiled on industries operating with and without Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to
Operate (CTO). The Minister directed to issue instructions to all District Magistrates/District Collectors in
NCR to collect data on CTO/CTE permissions, total commercial electricity connections, and industrial
units with GST registration. These datasets are to be correlated to identify illegally operating and non-compliant industrial units, particularly with respect to OCEMS and Air Pollution Control Device (APCD)
installations. The Minister further directed for increasing the number of automated Continuous Ambient
Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) integrated with the SAMEER App to enable real-time air
quality monitoring.
The Minister stressed the need for rigorous awareness generation among stakeholders whose activities
contribute to pollution. He observed that smaller municipal corporations should be provided with
appropriately sized commercial electric vehicles for public transport, keeping in view road width and
passenger footfall. Augmentation of public transport facilities was emphasised. The use of Mechanical
Road Sweeping Machines (MRSMs) and handheld litter pickers was also stressed, with directions that
only EV/CNG-based machines be procured under the Op-Ex model.
Under dust control measures, directions were issued for plantation of local bush varieties in open spaces
and on pavements, along with real-time repair of potholes. The Minister also called for submission of
short-term and long-term smart traffic management plans for all the reviewed cities to reduce congestion
and vehicular emissions. It was directed that C&D waste collection facilities be established in a 5 km by 5
km grid, mapped with the nearest waste processing facility.
The Minister directed officers to take ownership of the issues and demonstrate strong on-ground
leadership to address the prevailing challenges through innovative and realistic solutions, while actively
involving local stakeholders. Actionable points emerging from all presentations across NCR cities will be
compiled, and real-time monitoring of action taken will be carried out by CAQM. Targeted actions and
fixing of responsibility will be undertaken at regular intervals, with the objective of achieving at least a
15–20 per cent reduction in AQI levels across NCR by 2026.
The meeting was attended by the Chairman, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), senior
officers of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW), National Highways
Authority of India (NHAI), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Haryana State Pollution Control
Board (HSPCB), and Municipal Commissioners/District Magistrates of Rohtak, Manesar, Panipat and
Karnal.*****
VM
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