New Delhi, Jan 2 (UNI) Delhi’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Friday said the city’s Air Quality Index, which stood at 380 yesterday, recorded 236 today, marking a significant decline.
He was speaking following the decision of the CAQM sub-committee to revoke restrictions under Stage-III of GRAP.
”We have intensified action on every major source of pollution like vehicular emissions, industrial waste, dust, and open dumping while deploying new technology to strengthen our fight,” Sirsa said.
Environment Minister emphasized that even though GRAP Stage-III restrictions have been lifted, on-ground operations will continue with the same rigor and priority.
“This is not the time to relax, this is the time to double our efforts and consolidate the gains we’ve made. Each small win fuels our motivation to make Delhi’s air cleaner every single day,” he added.
The Environment Department and allied civic agencies have stepped up anti-pollution measures across the city, reporting a sharp rise in enforcement and cleanup activities over the last 24 hours.
Officials said strict checks on vehicular emissions led to the issuance of 6,596 challans against vehicles found violating pollution norms. In addition, 99 light motor vehicles were penalised for breaching entry restrictions imposed to control air pollution levels.
As part of intensified cleanliness drives, civic bodies removed around 12,000 metric tonnes of garbage from different zones of the city. To curb road dust, a major contributor to air pollution, mechanical sweeping was carried out on about 6,261 kilometres of roads during the same period.
Action was also taken against construction and demolition waste, with 2,315 metric tonnes lifted and transported to designated facilities for scientific disposal. Officials said this move is aimed at preventing illegal dumping and reducing particulate matter in the air.
Enforcement teams conducted 405 inspections at identified illegal dumping hotspots. Of these, 156 cases resulted in enforcement actions, including fines and notices, against violators.
To improve traffic flow and reduce vehicular idling emissions, authorities decongested 40 traffic congestion points along major corridors across the city.
Officials stated that pollution control teams have focused on addressing sources directly, from ensuring compliance at industrial clusters to deploying smog guns and anti-smog vehicles at traffic-heavy stretches and hotspots.
Sirsa stated that In the past year, Delhi has advanced new pathways of pollution control from accelerating legacy waste biomining(35 MT per day) to expanding clean-tech interventions on industrial and transport fronts. The unified effort is showing measurable impact.
Sirsa noted that Delhi’s fight against pollution is ongoing and determined. “Each day, we are learning, adapting, and improving. The city’s progress today inspires us to aim higher tomorrow,” he said.
