Experts warn Delhi still stuck in short-term fixes as DPCC orders daily inspections at 13 hotspots
New Delhi: Environmental experts have cautioned that Delhi’s reliance on short-term winter measures will do little to tackle the city’s persistent air pollution crisis, even as the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) announced daily inspections of 13 pollution hotspots and 27 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (CAAQM) stations across the Capital.
With Diwali approaching and winter setting in, when smog typically worsens due to stagnant weather, stubble burning, and firecracker use, experts argue that the city’s annual anti-smog drive is a recurring emergency response rather than a sustainable solution. “Every winter Delhi slips into crisis mode. Deploying sprinklers, inspections, and anti-smog guns may reduce immediate exposure, but unless systemic reforms in transport, energy, and construction dust control are prioritised, the cycle will repeat,” said an environmental researcher.
The DPCC’s latest order follows a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) advisory issued in September, directing cities that fail to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to identify major sources of pollution and step up targeted interventions.
As part of the new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), DPCC engineers will visit hotspots daily, log their movements with GPS, and record violations through geo-tagged and time-stamped images. Officers must also track Air Quality Index (AQI) fluctuations, identify peak hours, and coordinate with agencies to deploy sprinklers, road-sweeping machines, and anti-smog guns as required.
A DPCC official explained that the effort is meant to ensure rapid responses. “The identified hotspots and monitoring stations will now have constant oversight. The aim is to trace emission sources in real time and deploy immediate controls to reduce local pollution,” the official said.
The SOP also creates WhatsApp groups for each hotspot, including officials from multiple agencies, to allow faster coordination. Repeated violations at a site for two consecutive days will be escalated to higher authorities, while sudden AQI spikes will require direct site visits and action reports.
In parallel, the DPCC has issued a separate SOP for grossly polluting industries (GPIs), factories in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, paper, textiles, tanneries, and food processing, that discharge large volumes of untreated waste. Joint inspections with third-party experts will be conducted, and non-compliant industries face closure, power disconnection, and fines under Delhi’s Environmental Damage Compensation policy.
Yet, observers note that while these measures may curb immediate spikes in
pollution, Delhi lacks long-term structural reforms in clean transport, industrial emissions control, and waste management. Without those, they warn, the Capital will likely
face another season under a hazardous haze.
