Delhi adds 150 electric buses and 13 air quality monitors
Delhi expanded its air quality monitoring network to 60 stations and added 150 electric buses to its public fleet, aiming to curb winter pollution driven by stubble burning and vehicular emissions.
Delhi inaugurated five public electric vehicle charging stations and flagged off 150 new electric buses at the Anand Vihar interstate bus terminal. The capital's air quality monitoring network was simultaneously expanded to 60 stations through the addition of 13 new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations. These initiatives are part of preparations for the annual winter pollution peak, which intensifies from mid-September due to stubble burning and festive fireworks.
The new charging stations are located at Swami Vivekanand ISBT in Anand Vihar and Delhi Transport Corporation depots in Nand Nagri, Rohini Sector 37, Nangloi, and Keshopur. The Anand Vihar hub alone caters to approximately 125,000 commuters daily, handling an average of 2,300 buses from various state corporations and tourist permits. The newly inducted low-floor, air-conditioned electric buses include CCTV cameras, panic buttons, real-time tracking, and accessibility features for persons with disabilities. This addition brings Delhi's electric bus fleet to 5,238 vehicles within a total fleet of around 6,988 buses, which also includes approximately 1,750 CNG buses.
Air quality monitoring network expanded
The 13 new monitoring stations increase the total number of active Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations in Delhi from 47 to 60. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee installed ten of these stations. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune installed the remaining three at locations including Vikaspuri, Narela, Burari, Shastri Park, and Badarpur. The expanded network will feed real-time air quality data to the Central Pollution Control Board server and the public-facing SAMEER mobile application.
Integrated Command and Control Centre oversees pollution response
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav reviewed pollution control measures at the Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s Integrated Command and Control Centre. The AI-enabled centre in Shastri Park integrates data from multiple external systems. It monitors ambient air quality, dust-control sites, industrial emissions, stubble-burning incidents, and the deployment of enforcement vehicles and mechanical road-sweeping machines. During the review, Yadav highlighted the implementation of 11 action points to tackle air pollution and stressed inter-agency coordination. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa stated that the centre would monitor inspections of polluting industrial units, acknowledging that severe pollution last year was due to inherited legacy problems.
Mitigation measures under scrutiny include road improvements, encroachment removal, construction dust control, and greening initiatives. Thirty-four 'Air-Guardian' teams have been deployed to identify local pollution hotspots and incidents of waste burning. A high-level meeting chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been scheduled to discuss stubble burning.
Pollution drivers intensify in winter
Air quality in Delhi-NCR begins deteriorating from mid-September. Stubble burning in neighbouring states is the precursor to the winter pollution crisis. Subsequent fireworks during the festive season, especially around Diwali, worsen the situation despite existing curbs. PM2.5 is the dominant pollutant. Secondary particulates formed from emissions from transport, industries, power plants, and biomass burning are major contributors during winter.
In preparation, the Delhi government announced a phased ban on construction and demolition work, a 50% work-from-home directive for offices, double parking charges, and restrictions on the entry of older petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside the city. The government describes its Winter Action Plan 2026-27 as a prevention-focused and time-bound strategy. The Supreme Court is separately considering a balanced approach to Delhi's firecracker ban amid these pollution concerns. The government aims to expand the overall bus fleet to nearly 14,000 by the financial year 2028-29. The new monitoring stations are now integrated into the SAMEER mobile application, providing real-time public access to air quality data.
