Delhi pollution crisis: Government initiates sealing drive against polluting factories

In a stringent move to combat rising air pollution, the Delhi government on Monday announced that all polluting factories in the national capital will be sealed without prior notice as part of an extensive enforcement drive starting today.

Addressing a press conference, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the sealing action would be carried out jointly by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Deputy Commissioners and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) against unauthorised and polluting industrial units.

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“Today, all MCD Deputy Commissioners, along with the DPCC, have initiated the sealing process against unauthorised industries… From today onwards, strict action will also be taken against polluting industries, and under the extensive drive, all such units will be shut down,” warned Sirsa.

GRAP-IV active, WFH norms to be strictly enforced

Delhi Minister stated that several measures are being implemented alongside the enforcement of Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which includes work-from-home (WFH) advisories to reduce vehicular emissions.

Sirsa warned the violators, stressing that action will be taken if the government finds out that a company is not fully complying with work-from-home norms.

“In Delhi, along with GRAP Stage IV, there is also a work-from-home restriction in place. Information has been received that some private companies are not fully complying with it. They are therefore being urged to strictly adhere to these norms, and if any complaint naming a private company reaches us, action will be taken against them as well,’ said Sirsa.

Highlighting steps taken to curb vehicular pollution, Sirsa said more than two lakh vehicles have been issued Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC) since the launch of the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ drive in Delhi.

However, he added that around 10,000 vehicles failed the PUCC emission test, underlining the scale of non-compliance and the need for stricter enforcement.