CAQM submits long-term steps to curb air pollution; Supreme Court asks Delhi authorities to act

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 21, 2026) directed the Delhi government and other authorities to submit plans to implement long-term measures recommended by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to combat sources of air pollution in the national capital, at the foremost of which is vehicular emission.

Appearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, for CAQM, said the measures include phasing out polluting vehicles from Delhi-NCR, fortifying the pollution-under-check regime, augmentation of rail transport and metro models, revised electric vehicle policy, etc.

Ms. Bhati submitted that a meta-analysis of studies from 2015 to 2025 attributed PM2.5 in Delhi to a mix of primary emissions and secondary particulate formation from sources within the National Capital Region (NCR).

The measures suggested by the CAQM include developing multi-modal transport hubs connecting the metro, Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), last-mile connectivity with a real-time passenger information system, higher incentives to owners for scrapping their old vehicles, expansion in EV charging infrastructure, etc.