2K teams deployed to tackle pollution: Sirsa

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday said Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) has shown a marked improvement, dropping nearly 50 points in just 24 hours.

Today, the AQI stood at 305, compared to 353 yesterday, reflecting the impact of swift and coordinated interventions, he said.

“Delhi’s AQI has improved significantly. Today’s level of 305 is nearly 50 points better than yesterday’s 353. The city is responding to swift, coordinated action on the ground,” said Sirsa, who chaired a review meeting with senior officials.

Around 2,000 enforcement teams have been deployed 24×7 across the city to tackle waste burning, vehicular pollution and construction dust.

The government has mobilised 376 anti-smog guns, 266 water sprinklers and 91 mechanised road sweepers, all fitted with GPS to ensure accountability.

“Around 2,000 teams are in the field day and night. Delhi’s strategy is not limited to winter, it’s a 24×7, year-round governance model that keeps data, accountability and citizens at its core,” Sirsa added.

The city’s pollution control strategy also includes 443 anti-burning teams, 578 vehicular enforcement teams, 378 dust monitoring teams, 65 industrial inspection teams, 953 active PUC centres and 505 mobile prosecution teams comprising 974 traffic police personnel, all working under real-time Green War Room supervision. Departments are focusing on 13+ high AQI hotspots, dynamically redeploying assets based on pollution and congestion patterns.

“Our efforts are not limited to the present, we’re strengthening the future. Work will soon begin for 70 more mechanised sweepers, 70 additional anti-smog guns, water sprinklers and 140 litter pickers covering 1,440 km of roads. We’re encouraging innovation through Delhi’s Clean Air Challenge and cloud seeding will soon be conducted with IIT-Kanpur and the IMD,” Sirsa said.

Delhi’s dust suppression infrastructure has been strengthened significantly with 376 anti-smog guns, 266 water sprinklers and 91 mechanised road sweepers. The government is also accelerating the transition to an electric vehicle fleet to reduce transport emissions.

“We have moved from reactive clean-up to continuous control. Every machine, vehicle and officer is accountable through real-time dashboards. Delhi is cleaning its air through action, not announcements,” Sirsa said.

Under the 25-point Winter Action Plan, Delhi continues to scale its science-backed, citizen centric framework. Cloud seeding operations will commence soon with IIT-Kanpur and the IMD, subject to meteorological clearance. In 2025, 136.27 lakh tonnes of legacy waste has been biomined and zero landfill fire has been recorded.

“Delhi’s improved AQI shows that the system is working, but our focus is long-term. Clean air cannot be an event; it must be an everyday mission,” Sirsa said.

“This is a government that measures progress not in promises, but in cleaner skies and healthier citizens. Delhi’s air is improving and every citizen is part of that progress,” the minister pointed out.