New Delhi: The Delhi government has intensified preparations for the upcoming winter pollution season, with Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta directing senior officials to take stricter, hotspot-specific measures against dust, vehicular emissions and industrial pollution.
At a high-level meeting on Tuesday, 13 senior officers of the rank of Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary and Secretary were assigned responsibility for monitoring the capital’s 47 identified air pollution hotspots across all 13 districts.
The LG and Chief Minister directed officials to ensure regular monitoring and greater accountability in implementing pollution-control measures.
Key measures
- 47 pollution hotspots across all 13 districts placed under focused monitoring.
- 13 senior officers assigned responsibility for the identified hotspots.
- Cross-functional teams to hold weekly review meetings on pollution-control measures.
- Officials directed to adopt best practices and maintain regular interaction with residents.
- Focus areas include road dust, vehicular emissions and industrial pollution.
₹100 Crore Plan for Anti-Smog Guns
The Delhi government has also approved a ₹100 crore plan to deploy 1,000 truck-mounted anti-smog guns across the city during the winter months over a three-year period, according to officials familier with the matter.
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The proposed deployment will significantly expand Delhi’s existing fleet of more than 200 such machines. The devices spray a fine water mist to suppress dust on roads and other areas.
Under the plan submitted to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the machines are expected to operate on designated PWD roads from September to June each year between 2026 and 2029.
The vehicles will be operated by contractors, with the ₹100 crore allocation covering fuel and other operational expenses. Officials said routes and daily kilometres are being finalised, while the trucks are expected to operate in two 12-hour shifts.
The vehicles will also be equipped with GPS, with route and duty logs maintained to track their deployment and operation.