CAQM Steps Up NCR Anti-Pollution Drive With 150 Inspections in 15 Days
CAQM reviewed 150 inspections across NCR from August 24 to September 7, 2026, proposing closures, sealing orders and penalties, with drives in Nuh and Hapur.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has intensified its compliance and enforcement operations across the National Capital Region ahead of the seasonal rise in air pollution.
At its 139th Enforcement Task Force meeting, the commission reviewed field operations conducted between August 24 and September 7, 2026. During this 15-day window, CAQM's Flying Squads carried out 150 targeted inspections covering industrial units, construction sites and power-generation facilities.
Sector-wise checks
The inspections focused on sectors known for high particulate matter and gaseous emissions. In the industrial segment, 98 inspections assessed fuel usage and emission-control equipment. Another 45 inspections examined diesel generator operations for illegal, non-compliant or un-retrofitted sets. Construction and demolition sites were also audited for dust mitigation protocols.
Based on these reviews, the commission proposed immediate punitive and corrective measures. These include closure directions for three construction projects and one industrial unit, along with orders to seal 25 non-compliant diesel generator sets. Compliance orders were issued across six entities covering 10 DG sets, and environmental compensation was recommended for two major industrial violators.
Joint drive in Nuh
In Haryana's Nuh, eight Flying Squad teams, working with the local district administration, police and Haryana State Pollution Control Board officers, inspected 35 premises on September 3, 2026. Thirteen facilities were found compliant, while seven units were locked, which the commission described as an attempt to evade inspection. Those facilities are slated for immediate re-inspection. For the remaining non-compliant units, recommended penalties range from formal personal hearings and sealing orders to environmental compensation on six units.
Operation Clean Air in Hapur
Under 'Operation Clean Air', seven teams audited 22 industrial premises in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, on September 15, 2026. Sixteen of the 22 units failed environmental norms. Infractions included intense smoke emissions, absent or malfunctioning Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems, wet scrubber bypasses and hazardous wood-fired pit furnaces. Twelve show cause notices were issued, two non-conforming units were sealed by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, and strict action was proposed against two suspected illegal units that denied entry to inspection officers.
Winter mandate
With atmospheric conditions expected to worsen in the coming months, the commission said enforcement will only intensify. It has urged regional state pollution control boards, municipal bodies and local authorities to maintain seamless coordination, continuously monitor high-priority sectors and ensure zero tolerance for environmental violations.