Stories
CAQM Intensifies NCR Air Quality Enforcement: 197 Inspections, 85 Violations in 17 Days
- •The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) reviewed enforcement actions and compliance across NCR from September 8-24, conducting 197 inspections.
- •Inspections covered Construction & Demolition (C&D) sites, the Industrial Sector, and Diesel Generator (DG) sets, revealing 85 violations.
- •Enforcement actions proposed include closure of 4 C&D projects and 1 industrial unit, sealing of 28 DG sets, and Environmental Compensation in 10 cases.
- •Special inspection drives in Hapur and Loni, Ghaziabad, uncovered significant non-compliance, with all 21 units inspected in Loni found non-compliant.
- •CAQM emphasized continued strengthening of enforcement, timely compliance verification, and close coordination among agencies to mitigate air pollution.
Key Questions Answered
During its 140th meeting on October 1, 2026, the Enforcement Task Force of the CAQM reviewed 197 inspections conducted between September 8 and September 24. Violations were found in 85 cases, leading to proposed actions such as the closure of 4 construction and demolition projects and 1 industrial unit, sealing of 28 DG sets, and environmental compensation in 10 cases.
On September 29, 2026, a special inspection of 21 industrial units in Loni, Ghaziabad found all 21 units to be completely non-compliant with environmental norms. Major violations included operating furnaces and waste processing activities without adequate stack, chimney, or Air Pollution Control Devices, lacking a valid Consent to Operate, using unapproved fuels like coal, and operating in non-conforming areas.
As of October 1, 2026, the CAQM's cumulative enforcement status showed that flying squads had inspected 28,744 entities across the NCR, resulting in 1,831 closure directions and 1,488 issued resumption orders after compliance verification. Additionally, 127 cases were transferred to respective State Pollution Control Boards or the DPCC for final decisions.
