The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) on April 23, 2026, issued direction on Physical inspections of C & D Sites (>500 Sqm) in Delhi-NCR.
Dust from construction and demolition (C&D) activities is a significant and persistent contributor to air pollution in the NCR, leading to elevated PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ levels and associated health risks. To strengthen compliance and monitoring, the Commission mandated registration of all C&D projects of 500 sq. meters or more on government web portals for remote tracking of dust control measures. It also required deployment of anti-smog guns proportional to construction area to mitigate dust emissions.
Regular inspections of C&D sites are essential to ensure adherence to dust suppression norms and waste management practices. Authorities such as Member Secretaries and Municipal Commissioners have been empowered to initiate prosecution against violators. Additionally, a technology-driven Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) is being implemented for real-time monitoring, requiring State Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) and DPCC to submit inspection data with geo-tagged evidence.
Data for 2024 and 2025 indicates that while a large number of inspections have been conducted across NCR states, the number of closure actions taken is relatively low. In contrast, enforcement actions by CAQM show a higher proportion of closures, highlighting possible gaps in state-level enforcement or effectiveness of inspections.
In view of this disparity, NCR States and DPCC have been directed to analyze the reasons for the low number of closures despite extensive inspections and submit a detailed report. This aims to improve enforcement rigor and ensure effective control of dust pollution from C&D activities.
[Notification No. 110016/ L2 /2020/CAQM-C&D (XI) - 1846]
