Centre halts demolition in Delhi-NCR as smog thickens

The Union environment minister on Wednesday said that demolition work should be prohibited in the National Capital Region (NCR) during the peak pollution period. Bhupender Yadav was chairing a meeting to review action plans of the municipal bodies of Delhi and Sonepat regarding pollution.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Government mandated a 50 per cent work-from-home (WFH) for Government and Private offices. It also announced a Rs 10,000 compensation for affected construction workers affected by ban on construction and demolition in the city.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary (MoEFCC), Chairman, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), senior officers of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Secretary (Environment & Forest), GNCTD, and Municipal Commissioners of Delhi and Sonipat.

 Yadav also instructed the removal of illegal parkings and encroachments from 62 identified traffic congestion hotspots in the city. Calling for a detailed plan for road corridors and enable signal-free movement during peak traffic hours, the minister said vehicles below BS-IV standards should not to be allowed on these corridors.

The minister stressed that unplanned urban expansion must be checked and called for last-mile connectivity for residents of high-rise buildings to nearby public transport hubs to increase use of public transport facilities and reduce peak-hour congestion.

China offers lessons on smog

New Delhi: The Chinese Embassy in India has outlined Beijing’s air pollution control strategy, suggesting it offers lessons for Delhi as its AQI crossed 400, triggering GRAP Stage IV measures. Citing World Economic Forum data, the embassy said Beijing cut PM2.5 levels by nearly two-thirds between 2013 and 2023. Spokesperson Yu Jing highlighted strict vehicle emission norms, removal of old vehicles, temporary traffic curbs, and large-scale expansion of public transport and electric mobility. China also shut or relocated over 3,000 polluting industries and moved non-essential urban functions out of Beijing, sparking debate in India on the need for deeper structural reforms.