Delhi government deploys hundreds of vehicles to combat air pollution

The Delhi government has increased its ground-level enforcement of air quality rules by deploying hundreds of GPS-enabled patrol vehicles and forming over 300 enforcement teams.

These measures follow the city's worst air quality on Diwali day since 2021, where pollution levels reached nearly 5,000 µg/m³ at some monitoring stations. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi are coordinating the response.

Officials are using Vayu Rakshak vehicles and additional patrol cars to monitor hotspots for biomass burning and the illegal dumping or burning of municipal solid waste. To manage dust, the government is increasing the number of shifts for mechanized road sweeping machines and doubling the frequency of water sprinklers across the city. Senior officials are also conducting surprise inspections to ensure that teams comply with orders.

The strategy involves multiple departments, including the Transport and Urban Development departments, to monitor construction sites and restrict older vehicles. District Magistrates are overseeing enforcement with a focus on areas within a 3-km radius of known pollution hotspots.