Delhi deploys 334 teams for 24/7 winter
Delhi's environment minister announced 334 inspection teams will conduct round-the-clock pollution enforcement across the city's subdivisions and wards.
Delhi will deploy 334 teams for round-the-clock pollution inspections ahead of the winter season. Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced the plan on Thursday, stating enforcement will intensify at 48 identified pollution hotspots.
The announcement came during a high-level review meeting chaired by Sirsa to assess winter air pollution preparedness. The environment secretary, divisional commissioner, district magistrates, and senior officials from various departments attended. Sirsa described the approach as proactive, intensive, and focused on grassroots action. "Our teams will maintain round-the-clock vigilance, identify pollution sources at the earliest and ensure swift action against violations," he said.
Coordinated action by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), district administrations, and civic agencies will continue throughout the winter. This follows a separate Union-level meeting chaired by environment minister Bhupender Yadav with states to review the Delhi-NCR pollution control action plan from September 2026 to March 2027.
Inspection teams and their duties
Under the enforcement plan, two teams will operate in each of Delhi's 39 subdivisions. Led by assistant or junior engineers from the DPCC, these teams will conduct inspections, including at night. They will check for biomass burning, construction and demolition dust, industrial pollution, the use of unapproved fuels, and illegal waste dumping.
The teams will also monitor compliance with the Commission for Air Quality Management's directions on diesel generator sets. They must ensure construction and demolition activities are registered on the government's Dust Portal.
Ward-level monitoring and hotspot focus
At the ward level, 250 teams will cover Municipal Corporation of Delhi wards. Four teams will operate in New Delhi Municipal Council areas and two in Delhi Cantonment Board areas. These teams will monitor local pollution sources, inspect decentralised construction waste storage centres, and identify unpaved roads and roads with significant potholes.
The government will intensify enforcement in 48 identified non-conforming pollution hotspots. District magistrates will directly supervise drives targeting unauthorised polluting industries. The operations will focus on units involved in metal casting, powder coating, buffing and polishing, plastic waste reprocessing, spray painting, and heat-treatment.
The Union-level meeting was attended virtually by Sirsa and environment ministers and officials from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. It reviewed measures to tackle major pollution sources and stressed the need for coordinated action across the region.
