PAC flags major gaps in Delhi’s anti-pollution fight

Delhi’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has flagged “several systemic deficiencies” in the national Capital’s fight against vehicular air pollution, saying there were gaps and weaknesses in air quality monitoring, public transport, enforcement of vehicular emission norms, and cleaner mobility policies.

In its third report of the Assembly presented on Monday, the committee examined the Comptroller and Auditor General’s performance audit of “Prevention and Mitigation of Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi for the year ended 31 March, 2021” and called for urgent, time-bound corrective action by the Transport and Environment departments.

The committee said several Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) did not fully comply with prescribed siting norms as prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) regarding proximity to roads, trees, and other obstacles, raising concerns over the reliability of pollution data and Air Quality Index (AQI) readings. It also noted that AQI had at times been calculated despite incomplete pollutant data.

“Audit noted that AQI was calculated despite the non-availability of the prescribed minimum data for several pollutants on certain days.

Further, none of the monitoring stations was measuring Lead (Pb), which is one of the pollutants under National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS),” the report noted.

On source tracking, the PAC said Delhi had long lacked credible real-time information on major pollution sources and vehicular emission loads. It noted that an earlier source apportionment project remained unfruitful, despite expenditure of Rs 87.60 lakh, and recommended timely completion of scientific studies and better maintenance of data on vehicle numbers, types and emission loads.

The report also highlighted concerns over benzene emissions, saying that despite high levels at several locations, emissions were not being adequately monitored at fuel stations and information on Vapour Recovery Systems was initially unclear.

The committee asked the Government to monitor benzene emissions at fuel outlets and ensure the installation and effective functioning of vapour recovery systems.

A major focus of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report is Delhi’s public transport network, where it flagged a substantial shortage of buses and gaps in last-mile connectivity.

Against an assessed requirement of around 11,000 buses, only about 6,750 were available in 2021, the committee said. It also pointed to a sizeable number of buses remaining off-road due to repair and maintenance issues, non-operation of 238 out of 657 notified routes, and weak feeder connectivity.

“The committee recommends that the department expedite implementation of feeder services, including electric buses under the DEVI scheme and other integrated mobility solutions, so as to ensure seamless last-mile connectivity and enhance the effectiveness of the public transport system,” the report said.

On cleaner transport, the PAC echoed audit findings and raised concerns over irregular issuance of Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCCs), including cases where certificates were issued without proper test values or despite vehicles exceeding permissible emission limits.

The panel also flagged weak progress in addressing older and more polluting vehicles, recommending retrofitting of diesel vehicles with approved emission control technologies and strict compliance with court directions on BS-III and BS-IV vehicles.

“The committee observes that a very large number of End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) remain active in the system and that progress in deregistration and scrapping has been slow,” it said.

The PAC further highlighted severe manpower shortages in the Transport Department’s enforcement wing and a lack of comprehensive data, particularly on vehicles entering Delhi from neighbouring States.

In the cleaner transport and mitigation segment, the audit pointed to weak implementation of the Delhi EV Policy, inadequate charging infrastructure, non-constitution of key bodies such as the EV Board and EV Cell during the audit period, and limited promotion of non-motorised transport.

It also noted gaps in parking management, poor compliance with measures under the Graded Response Action Plan, and delays in key transport infrastructure projects.

“While several policy measures have been initiated, their implementation has often been slow and fragmented, with inadequate coordination among multiple agencies limiting effectiveness,” the report said.

The committee directed the Department to submit an Action Taken Report indicating the status as of December 31, 2026. The report has to be submitted by January 31, 2027.