CM Unveils Mega Anti-Pollution Plan for 2025: AI monitoring, Cloud seeding, EVs anchor Delhi’s new war on air pollution

New Delhi: In a sweeping new initiative to battle the capital’s choking air pollution, the Delhi government on Tuesday launched its comprehensive “Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025” under the slogan “Shuddh Hawa Sabka Adhikar, Pradushan Par Zordar Prahar.” Chief Minister Rekha Gupta rolled out the plan ahead of World Environment Day, calling it “one of the most ambitious environmental interventions in Delhi’s history.” Speaking at the launch, CM Gupta said, “Green Delhi, Healthy Delhi is not a slogan, it’s our mission.” In a major scientific leap, the government has partnered with IIT Kanpur to conduct a pilot project for artificial rain via cloud seeding. “We’ve signed an MoU for a historic pilot project to induce artificial rain as a dust suppression strategy,” she said.

The plan includes the deployment of AI-enabled compliance systems to monitor pollution from construction and vehicular sources. Building approvals will now be tied to an upgraded AI-powered portal by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), which will include geo-tagging, alert systems, and penalty tracking. To mitigate dust, 1,000 water sprinklers, 140 anti-smog guns, and 70 mechanical sweepers will be active throughout the year. Special mist sprayers will be installed at 13 pollution hotspots. Additionally, all high-rise commercial buildings over 3,000 sq m, including malls and hotels, must install rooftop anti-smog guns. Delhi’s roads will also undergo a condition survey to fix broken stretches. New equipment, including 70 electric litter pickers and 38 water tankers, will support the dust control campaign. Construction sites over 500 sq m will be required to register with DPCC and follow new digital compliance norms.

Starting July 1, 2025, End-of-Life Vehicles (EoLVs) will be banned from entering Delhi. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras will be placed at all entry points and petrol pumps to identify such vehicles, which will also receive warning SMS alerts. From November 1, only BS-VI, CNG, and electric commercial vehicles will be allowed to enter Delhi. “We want only BS-VI, CNG, and electric vehicles to enter Delhi from November 1,” said Gupta. To support this shift, 2,299 e-autos will be deployed outside metro stations, and the city will install 18,000 EV charging points. The government plans to transition 80 per cent of its fleet to electric vehicles and phase out fuel-based vehicles from protected areas. Legacy waste at the three major landfills, Okhla, Bhalswa, and Ghazipur, will be fully cleared through biomining by 2028. New waste-to-energy plants and biogas facilities are in the pipeline to ensure net-zero landfill waste. A major plantation drive titled “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” will begin on June 5, targeting 70 lakh saplings in 2025. “Delhi’s air should be good enough that people choose to stay here rather than move out,” Gupta added. Environmental experts welcomed the comprehensive scope of the plan but warned that execution remains the key challenge. An environment expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “AI-based monitoring, cloud seeding, and RFID tagging are technologically sound ideas, but they require rigorous follow-through. Delhi has had plans before, this one stands out in ambition, but not necessarily in accountability.” Sunil Dahiya, an environment expert, said the plan was a positive start, but what Delhi needs is implementation. Also, tackling external factors like crop burning through interstate dialogue is critical and completely missing from the current plan.”