Delhi Assembly seeks time-bound action on vehicular pollution, PAC report sent for implementation review

With a renewed focus on one of the capital’s most pressing environmental challenges, the Delhi Legislative Assembly Secretariat has forwarded the third report of the Committee on Public Accounts (PAC), based on the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s performance audit on “Prevention and Mitigation of Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi” for the year ended 31 March 2021, to the concerned authorities for necessary action.

Officials stated that the Action Taken Report (ATR) must clearly indicate the status of implementation of the Committee’s recommendations as of 31 December 2026, and should be submitted to the Assembly Secretariat by 31 January 2027.

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In this regard, Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said that addressing vehicular air pollution requires coordinated and time-bound action, and that institutional processes must translate audit findings into tangible outcomes on the ground.

Pursuant to these directions, communications have been issued to the Delhi Transport Minister and the Secretary-cum-Commissioner of the Transport Department, seeking a comprehensive and time-bound response to the Committee’s findings and recommendations.

The report examines critical dimensions of vehicular air pollution in the national capital, highlighting systemic gaps in regulatory frameworks, enforcement mechanisms, and institutional coordination that have hindered efforts to manage air quality effectively.

Drawing attention to these findings, Gupta observed that Delhi’s response to air pollution must move beyond incremental measures. He noted that the Committee’s assessment underscores structural deficiencies that impede effective pollution control, including gaps in planning frameworks, limitations in monitoring systems and inconsistencies in enforcement.

The Speaker also pointed to the inadequate establishment and functioning of air quality monitoring stations, incomplete tracking of prescribed pollutants, and the absence of reliable, comprehensive emission data, all of which constrain evidence-based policymaking.

He further stated that the condition of public transport reflects enduring structural constraints that require sustained intervention. Gupta emphasised that these limitations have affected accessibility and reliability, contributing to increased dependence on private vehicles and adding pressure on urban infrastructure and air quality.

The Speaker also flagged that the implementation of vehicular emission norms remains uneven. He pointed to inadequate coverage of pollution checking centres, irregularities in the issuance of Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates, weak oversight of emission testing processes, and the slow adoption of modern emission monitoring technologies.