The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on July 30, 2026, issued amendment to Direction No. 98 regarding Stipulation for Particulate Matter Emissions from industries across Delhi-NCR.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) identified industrial stack emissions as a major contributor to particulate matter (PM) pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR), adversely impacting air quality and public health. To address this, it had earlier introduced stricter emission norms through Direction No. 98 (dated 20.02.2026), setting a uniform PM emission limit of 50 mg/Nm³ for 17 categories of highly polluting industries, including red-category, food processing, textile, and metal industries. This standard was deemed both technically achievable and environmentally necessary based on expert studies and recommendations.
Initially, the revised standards were to be implemented in phases—by 1 August 2026 for large and medium industries and 1 October 2026 for remaining industries. Regulatory bodies such as the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), along with State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), undertook efforts to ensure compliance, including monitoring installation of Air Pollution Control Devices (APCDs) and creating a dedicated tracking portal.
However, multiple industry associations raised concerns regarding difficulties in meeting the deadlines. Key challenges included high financial costs, long lead times for procuring APCDs, limited availability of technical assessment agencies, and constraints in accredited laboratories. These issues were further exacerbated by prevailing geopolitical and supply chain disruptions. Consequently, stakeholders requested an extension ranging from a few months to one season.
After reviewing these representations and recommendations from CPCB, the Commission concluded that while the emission standard must remain unchanged, a limited extension would facilitate better compliance. Accordingly, the timeline has been revised, and the 50 mg/Nm³ PM emission standard will now be applicable to all covered industries uniformly from 1 October 2026. All other provisions of the original direction remain unchanged, ensuring that environmental objectives are maintained while allowing industries additional time for compliance.
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2292690®=48&lang=1
[Notification No. A-110018/01/2021-CAQM/2037-2056]
