Delhi’s Pollution Is Bigger Than Delhi

Every year, Delhi enters winter with the same warning as the temperature drops, air quality deteriorates and the pollution levels start to rise. This year, however, the government wants to change one part of that familiar cycle. More recently, the Delhi government announced its Winter Action Plan months in advance. Instead of waiting for the Air Quality Index (AQI) to enter the dangerous category and then start emergency measures, the state has already put in place some early preparation to better manage the situation it has arguably failed in the past.

Delhi Government’s Air Pollution Mitigation Action Plan or the Winter Action Plan 2026-27 comes into action beginning November 1. Starting next month, petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI standards will be restricted from entering the capital. The government has also introduced a ‘No PUCC, No Fuel’ approach, meaning petrol pumps won’t be allowed to sell petrol/diesel to any vehicle without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC). Parking charges are going to double with construction and demolition activities set to face reasonable restrictions, including a complete ban beginning December 10, 2026 till January 20, 2026. Government and private offices have also been advised to operate with 50 per cent staff working from home. Mechanised sweeping, water sprinkling, road cleaning and CCTV monitoring of construction sites that can contribute to increased pollution has also been announced.

On paper, these are significant steps and a huge shift in approach compared to previous years. But there’s an obvious problem. Most of these measures are not new and already existed under the Graded Response Action Plan or GRAP. However, the only difference is that Delhi is now putting these restrictions on a fixed calendar rather than waiting for the AQI to deteriorate enough to trigger GRAP.

While this makes the approach more responsible and potentially more effective, it does not guarantee better air. Similar measures were implemented last winter without producing a meaningful improvement in Delhi's winter air quality. This only proves one thing, enforcement is the real test and that’s where Delhi seems to be failing.

There’s also another problem. Delhi is part of a much larger airshed and the new plans do not shield the capital from these problems. In a recent statement, Delhi Environmental Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also emphasized the need for coordinated action across NCR. Delhi's pollution problem extends far beyond the boundaries of the capital and therefore requires cooperation between states and the Centre. Crop-residue burning in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh can send smoke towards Delhi just as winter conditions begin trapping pollutants close to the ground. As for the Diwali fireworks, which can add another major spike to the pollution levels, the Supreme Court’s ruling has also met with mixed response. The two-judge bench of Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale ruled out a complete ban of firecrackers during Diwali. And this is where Delhi's preparedness faces a problem that it cannot solve by itself.

The capital may be able to control its construction sites, restrict vehicles and increase road cleaning, but it cannot independently control what happens in neighbouring states. And in all reality, neighboring states have not announced any advance planning except reinforcing last year’s step albeit with more seriousness.

The European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), also mentioned in paragraph 108 in the New Delhi Declaration adopted by the 11-member BRICS bloc also raises an important concern for India regarding its carbon intensive industries which produces significantly higher carbon emissions when compared to the global average and hence adding to the country’s wider pollution problem. Indian steel production generates about 2.55 to 2.6 tons of CO2 per ton of crude steel, which is roughly 35% to 38% higher than the global average of 1.85 to 1.91 tons. The connection to Delhi's pollution problem is not direct, but the underlying challenge to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere remains the same. Not just Delhi, but India needs to act before it is forced to act, making the decarbonization of the steel industry increasingly important.

The story doesn’t stop here. The Indian steel industry not only leads the global charts in CO2 emissions but also the largest S02 emitter in the power sector. Even though Delhi has banned the use of coal as an industrial fuel, it cannot entirely escape the problems that come with coal burning in nearby areas. In a new study by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), coal-based power plants within 300 km of Delhi-NCR that are exempted from installing flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems contribute to nearly 81% of SO2 emission from the power sector.

Delhi’s pollution problem is not just limited to vehicles, crackers, construction, or stubble burning but also the industrial and power sector emissions. In a survey by Centre for Science & Environment, it was found that more than 70% of brick kilns used coal during 2025-26 despite the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) ban on coal use.

When you look at it, the guidelines on paper look impressive but the story on ground tells a completely different story. So, is Delhi ready for winter? Probably. But not enough.

The real test of preparedness will not be whether the government can announce restrictions before winter. Because there’s no doubt that the city has a plan. It has fixed dates, enforcement mechanisms, monitoring systems and restrictions designed to target major sources of pollution. What remains uncertain is whether these measures will be implemented across all sectors. The question is also whether neighbouring states will act with the same urgency. Cut story short, Delhi cannot solve the pollution crisis with a Delhi-only plan.

Delhi may finally be preparing to fight pollution in advance, what it needs now is for the entire nation to do the same.