The meeting emphasised the need for regular monitoring of thermal plants to ensure co-firing targets are met with penalties for non-compliance
P K Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, reviewed the readiness of stakeholders to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR during winter and emphasised the urgent need to transition to electric vehicles and strictly implement the air pollution control plan.
Chairing a high-level task force meeting at the Prime Minister's Office, he instructed the chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to rigorously enforce action plans to prevent stubble burning, fully utilise crop residue management (CRM) machines, and support small industries in the economic use of paddy straw.
Senior officials, including the cabinet secretary, the Delhi police chief, and representatives from the ministries of environment, agriculture, power, petroleum, road transport, housing, and animal husbandry, attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Mishra stressed the importance of promoting electric vehicles and expanding EV charging infrastructure in NCR areas to tackle air pollution.
He also encouraged states to increase their e-bus fleets under the PM eBus Sewa Scheme, which aims to add 10,000 e-buses in the country, according to a statement.
Mishra called for the prompt and effective implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)—a set of anti-pollution measures enforced during winter—and the ban on firecrackers by all relevant agencies to manage air quality.
He also requested the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to expedite the collection of biomass and accelerate the construction of compressed biogas plants.
Rajesh Verma, the chairman of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), informed the participants that Punjab is estimated to generate 19.52 million tonnes of paddy straw.
The state plans to manage 11.5 million tonnes in-situ and the rest ex-situ. It has 1.5 lakh crop residue management machines and 24,736 custom hiring centres, he said.
Haryana is estimated to generate 8.10 million tonnes of paddy straw, with 3.3 million tonnes to be managed in-situ, Verma said, adding the state has 90,945 CRM machines and 6,794 custom hiring centres.
He also said that 2 million tonnes of paddy straw would be co-fired in 11 thermal power plants across NCR.
The meeting emphasised the need for regular monitoring of thermal plants to ensure co-firing targets are met with penalties for non-compliance, the statement said.
Verma further said that 220 out of 240 industrial areas in the NCR are now equipped with gas infrastructure, with the remaining areas set to be connected soon.
Dust pollution from construction and demolition activities is being remotely monitored through a web portal, with mandatory registration for projects over 500 square meters, he added.