MCD mulls doubling parking fees, steps up anti-pollution measures

With Delhi’s air quality dipping further into the ‘severe’ category, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has stepped up its anti-pollution efforts across the city.

From deploying additional anti-smog guns and mechanical road sweepers to intensifying checks on construction sites and waste burning, the civic body is working on multiple fronts to reduce pollution levels.

On the policy front, the MCD is also preparing to propose a plan to double parking fees citywide to discourage private vehicle use and promote cleaner mobility.

Officials said the Corporation was set to propose a plan in the upcoming House meeting to double parking fees across Delhi in an attempt to discourage the use of private vehicles and promote public transport. “The final decision will depend on the approval of the House,” a senior MCD official said, adding that the move aims to complement existing measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

“Teams are working on the ground with all measures in place from anti-smog guns and mechanical sweeping machines to stricter enforcement against waste burning and construction violations. More machines will be added soon to strengthen the drive,” the official said.

The MCD has intensified ground-level enforcement with 379 surveillance teams comprising 1,172 officers deployed across the city to monitor open burning, illegal dumping of construction and demolition (C&D) waste and dust on roads.

Between January and October 15 this year, 1,216 challans worth Rs 1.85 crore were issued against defaulting C&D sites, while fines totalling Rs 1.7 lakh were imposed for open burning in October alone.

Currently, 760 C&D sites are registered with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and are being regularly inspected. The civic body has also designated 106 dumping sites for debris disposal, with additional sites under identification to streamline waste management.

According to official data, the MCD maintains over 6,130 km of roads, cleaned daily by nearly 57,000 sanitation workers. To curb dust pollution, 52 mechanical road sweepers are operational, covering about 3,400 km of main roads on alternate days.

The duration of their operation has been extended during GRAP implementation and 18 new sweepers are expected to be added soon under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and Urban Development Fund (UDF).

The civic body has also deployed 167 water sprinklers, 28 mobile anti-smog guns, and 20 fixed anti-smog guns at landfill and waste processing sites, while 15 additional units have been installed at high-rise buildings.

Between April and September, the MCD resurfaced 224 km of roads and repaired over 7,600 potholes, with plans to upgrade another 591 km of lanes and roads within the financial year 2025-2026 at a cost of Rs 755 crore.

Further, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has identified 13 pollution hotspots, including Mundka, Bawana, Wazirpur, Okhla, Anand Vihar and Rohini. MCD zonal teams are coordinating with other departments to address localised sources of air pollution in these areas.

To enhance green cover, the MCD has planted over 3.3 lakh saplings, including 88,765 trees, 2.2 lakh shrubs and 22,000 bamboo plants between April and September 2025.