Government
Delhi’s command centre arrives ahead of the winter pollution plan
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated an Integrated Command and Control Centre on October 2 to monitor pollution sources in real time, using AI cameras on more than 700 construction sites and GPS tracking of sweeping machinery.
Delhi’s new pollution command centre launched ahead of the winter pollution action plan.
The plan takes effect from November 1 and runs through February 2027.
The centre will monitor construction sites, sweeping machinery and open burning.
It was inaugurated by CM Rekha Gupta on October 2.
AI cameras will cover more than 700 construction sites.
AI-driven cameras will monitor construction sites larger than 500 square metres.
More than 700 identified construction sites are covered by the monitoring.
GPS will be used to track mechanical road-sweeping machinery and pollution-control towers across Delhi.
The centre will also monitor pollution hotspots and open burning.
It integrates complaints and inspection data so that the relevant departments can act faster.
The launch comes ahead of Delhi’s winter pollution action plan, which takes effect from November 1 and runs through February 2027.
Construction dust, road dust and open burning are among the local sources of air pollution in Delhi.
Delhi’s air quality typically worsens sharply in the winter months as local emissions combine with weather conditions that trap pollutants.
Real-time monitoring is intended to make enforcement against violators faster than periodic manual inspections allow.
Delhi’s winter action plan also includes staggered office timings, doubled parking charges and a ban on non-BS-VI vehicles from outside the city from November 1.
A ‘No PUCC, No Fuel’ campaign is also planned for petrol pumps across the city.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reviewed the winter plan in late September.
Pollution-control towers and mechanical sweepers are among the equipment Delhi uses to reduce dust and particulate matter on roads.
Integrated command centres are used in several Indian cities to combine data from cameras, sensors and complaints in one place.
Enforcement agencies in Delhi include the city government’s environment department, the municipal corporation and the pollution control committee.
Delhi air pollution (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0