Delhi-NCR air: Centre asks UP to speed up old truck-bus replacement and 'no PUC, no fuel'

What happened

Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Narendra Bhushan reviewed the action plans of the Uttar Pradesh government and urban bodies for tackling air pollution and preparing for winter in Delhi-NCR on 23 October 2026. It was a review meeting where suggestions for further action were given.

What UP reported

The state government said it has taken 11 major steps so far and carried out several measures to improve air quality. These cover road dust, construction and demolition (C&D) activity, open burning of waste, vehicle pollution, traffic congestion, industrial pollution, greenery and paddy stubble management. The state said several measures are already in place with coordination among agencies and local bodies.

Focus on vehicles

The Secretary asked the state to actively engage truck and bus associations so that the benefits of the Parivartan scheme for replacing old trucks and buses are adopted quickly. He suggested the Transport Department play an easy and active role in issuing NOCs to move old vehicles out of NCR. He also urged early installation of ANPR cameras at all fuel stations to enforce the ‘no PUC, no fuel’ policy.

Construction, waste and greenery

The Secretary reviewed whether C&D waste processing facilities are adequate for the waste generated. He suggested that Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCC) already running in several cities could link up with monitoring and enforcement work, such as remote monitoring of construction sites, tracking of waste-carrying vehicles, mechanical road cleaning and reducing congestion. He also suggested using the Dust Portal developed by the UP Pollution Control Board to monitor construction sites. It was noted that the state has already met its greening targets, and urban bodies were to be encouraged to develop Namo Van under the Ministry’s Nagar Van scheme.

Industry readiness

The Secretary also reviewed how prepared industries are to install air pollution control devices (APCD) to meet the revised emission standards set by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for certain categories of industries. The UP Pollution Control Board and the Industries Department were advised to hold meetings with industries and associations, closely monitor implementation and remove hurdles.

Who benefits

People in the NCR areas that face poor air can benefit from the steps discussed. District magistrates and municipal commissioners of Ghaziabad, Meerut, Noida, Greater Noida, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar and Shamli attended the meeting. The release does not announce any new action or deadline for ordinary citizens.