Latest news with #CAQM
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
‘Clean fuel norms will transform NCR by 2026': CAQM chief Rajesh Verma
The National Capital Region (NCR) is undergoing a critical transformation in the way it moves — not just in terms of technology, but in vision, said Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) chairperson Rajesh Verma on Thursday, making a strong case for clean mobility on World Environment Day. Speaking at Urban Adda 2025, a three-day event hosted by the Raahgiri Foundation, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), and GuruJal, Verma delivered the keynote address on the final day, underscoring that vehicular emissions remain at the heart of NCR's air pollution crisis. HT is a media partner for the event. 'Among the many contributors to air pollution, vehicular emissions remain one of the most pressing issues,' Verma said, highlighting how the explosive growth in vehicle numbers has vastly outpaced infrastructure. 'Between 1981 and 2021, the number of vehicles in Delhi grew 21-fold, while the road length only doubled.' Verma said, stating vehicles were growing at a much rapid pace, thus making the transition to cleaner fuels a slow but gradual exercise. Delhi today has 15.2 million registered vehicles growing at 6% annually, while the rest of NCR accounts for another 11.4 million vehicles, growing at an even faster 8%. Although the Capital occupies just 2.7% of NCR's land area, it houses 57% of its vehicles — placing extraordinary strain on infrastructure and contributing significantly to the region's toxic air, Verma said. Since its establishment in 2021, the CAQM has pushed aggressively to clean up transport — from public to private. 'We have adopted an integrated and sustained strategy,' Verma said, involving cleaner fuels, faster EV adoption, and improvements in public transport access and reliability. The data shared also showed that much of the fleet remains dependent on polluting fuels. Verma shared data that 82% of vehicles in Delhi still run on petrol, 7% on diesel, 8% on CNG, and only 2.8% are electric or hybrid. Just 18% of the city's fleet is BS-IV compliant. 'Older vehicles — BS-IV and below — are responsible for nearly 70% of the city's vehicular pollution. Phasing them out is a key priority,' he said. Expanding EV infrastructure is central to this transition. Charging stations have rapidly multiplied across NCR, creating the ecosystem needed to support electric mobility. The CAQM has also tightened norms for new vehicles. Since January 2023, registration of diesel-run auto-rickshaws has been banned in NCR, with a complete phase-out due by December 2026. From November this year, only cleaner-fuel commercial goods vehicles will be allowed into Delhi. Beginning November 1, 2026, buses and All India Tourist Permit vehicles entering Delhi must be electric, CNG, or BS-VI compliant. The government is also targeting fast-growing logistics sectors. 'Aggregator fleets, delivery vehicles, and e-commerce logistics are growing faster than any other category,' Verma said. From January 1, 2026, only CNG or EVs can be added to these fleets — no new diesel or petrol vehicles will be permitted. 'These measures will be enforced through advanced surveillance systems and integrated command centres,' Verma said, stressing the importance of complementing technology with strong on-ground enforcement. 'We're working closely with enforcement agencies to ensure this is implemented properly.' Verma said the region is already beginning to see the results of these efforts. 'Since 2018, the number of good to moderate AQI days in Delhi has increased by 30%. Poor to severe days have reduced by nearly a quarter,' he said. Calling for continued collaboration, Verma said, 'Air pollution is a dynamic challenge that demands vigilance, innovation, and constant enforcement. CAQM is committed to bringing global best practices to India, striking a balance between present-day needs and a sustainable future.'
NDTV
7 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
"Go Electric, Go Now" Message From G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant To Tackle Delhi Pollution
Delhi becomes unlivable for three months a year, noted G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, underlining the severe economic and health burden of air pollution. Speaking at a high-level event (Urban Adda) on World Environment Day, he noted that air pollution is cutting life expectancy by 6.3 years and costing the economy Rs 100,000 crore annually - nearly 3% of India's GDP. Mr Kant laid out a clear and urgent roadmap for Delhi and other urban centres to tackle pollution head-on: * Electrify all 2-and 3-wheelers within a year * Mandate electric for all new taxis and convert current fleets within 24 months * Ensure all school buses are electric or retrofitted in 2 years * Shift all brick kilns to cleaner zigzag technology * Install FGD and DSI units in all thermal power plants * Adopt electric boilers in SMEs, powered by rooftop solar "We must leapfrog to clean energy. Don't waste time or money on legacy technologies. Go electric, go now," he urged. Backing this call, Rajesh Verma, Chairperson of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), revealed how Delhi's infrastructure hasn't kept up with the vehicle explosion. From 1981 to 2021, the number of vehicles in Delhi-NCR rose 21-fold, while road infrastructure only doubled, dangerous imbalance choking the city. Mr Verma stressed that technology must be backed by enforcement and behavioural change, but also pointed to positive developments: * 25% of Delhi's bus fleet is now electric, with 7,600+ e-buses deployed * 'Good' AQI days are up by 30% in the last 7 years * 'Severe' pollution days have fallen by nearly 25% As a major step toward cleaner air, CAQM and Raahgiri Foundation have signed an MoU to create a Resources Lab for dust pollution control. This hub will train urban officials from NCR cities in sustainable road design, dust mitigation, and non-motorized transport providing them the tools and techniques for long-term environmental resilience.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Time for a war on pollution': Delhi's EV and dust control push takes shape at Urban Adda 2025
NEW DELHI: Urban Adda 2025 wrapped up on World Environment Day after three days of discussion, policy announcements, and public engagement focused on clean mobility, gender equity, and sustainable urban design. Organised by the Raahgiri Foundation in partnership with the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and GuruJal, and supported by Nagarro, the event brought together over 600 participants across 30 sessions at the India Habitat Centre. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurating the summit on World Bicycle Day, reflected on his personal use of cycling for commuting and called for a cultural shift: 'Cycling is the best form of exercise and the solution to pollution. Let's shed the idea that it's only for a certain class. It must become a national movement.' The first day saw Delhi Transport Minister Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh announce the upcoming launch of Delhi's EV Policy 2.0, which aims to address last-mile safety, eliminate bus shortages, and improve transport governance. 'It's not just about how many buses, but whether people feel safe in them,' he said. The second day spotlighted gender and urban mobility, with actor and entrepreneur Pooja Bedi saying, 'Our commute isn't travel, it's survival. A medal is reaching home without trauma.' Her remarks called attention to the daily challenges faced by women in public transport. Rajasthan minister Rajyavardhan Rathore spoke about the success of rural electrification in his state, while discussions on electric vehicle localisation warned against blindly replicating internal combustion engine models. 'EV localisation must follow demand, not dictate it,' said Neha Jain of JSW MG Motors. The final day focused on climate resilience and public transport governance. ICCT and IIT Roorkee released a comprehensive review of EV emissions. CAQM Chairperson Rajesh Verma warned of unchecked vehicle growth: 'Vehicles have increased 21 times since 1981—but roads have barely doubled.' Amitabh Kant, India's G20 Sherpa, cited the economic and health toll of pollution in Delhi and called for immediate reforms, including electrification of two- and three-wheelers and adoption of solar-powered technologies in small industries. 'Delhi loses Rs 100,000 crore and 6.3 years of life expectancy annually to pollution. It's time for a war against it,' he said. The event concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between CAQM and the Raahgiri Foundation to develop a Resources Lab for dust pollution mitigation in NCR cities.
Indian Express
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Delhi-NCR states told not to allow cab aggregators, delivery service providers to use diesel, petrol vehicles from 2026
Underlining the need for 'faster transition to efficient and cleaner mobility', the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in Delhi and NCR issued directions on Wednesday not to allow cab aggregators and delivery service providers to use any more diesel or petrol-run vehicles from January 2026. It has also directed the NCR state governments to induct only CNG or electric three-wheeler autorickshaws in the existing vehicle fleet with 'immediate effect'. The commission said that its focus is on reducing vehicular pollution and facilitating faster transition to cleaner modes of mobility in Delhi–NCR, particularly in the sectors of motor vehicle aggregators, delivery service providers, and e-commerce entities. 'The existing fleet of vehicles onboarded by these service providers can be continued for such services,' the directive read. States, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, need to formulate comprehensive policies prioritizing the high-vehicle density (HVD) cities of Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad, which, besides intra-city requirements, also rely heavily on inter-city movement of vehicles, it said. With regard to Delhi, the commission noted that there is already an existing framework in place with the 2023 Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Service Provider Scheme. Under this scheme, licensing and regulation of aggregators providing passenger transport services, delivery services of goods and commodities, including through e-commerce entities, are regulated. In its direction, it also noted that zero-emission vehicles such as Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and other clean technologies need to be targeted for clean mobility.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Only BS-VI, CNG, LNG and EV commercial vehicles to be allowed entry into Delhi from Nov 1
New Delhi: In a move aimed at reducing vehicular emissions and improving air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has issued multiple directions restricting entry of high-emission vehicles into Delhi. The commission has announced that starting November 1, 2025, all commercial goods vehicles—Light, Medium and Heavy Goods Vehicles—except those running on BS-VI diesel, CNG, LNG or electric power, will be barred from entering Delhi, unless registered in the city. The directive, issued under CAQM's Direction No. 88 dated April 23, 2025, is part of the Commission's continued effort to tackle air pollution from the transport sector, which is a significant contributor to particulate matter emissions throughout the year and more acutely during winter months. To extend its pollution abatement measures to the public transport sector, CAQM has now mandated that all buses entering Delhi under various service categories, including those on All India Tourist Permits, must run on cleaner fuels—BS-VI diesel, CNG or electric power—from November 1, 2026. This condition, stated in Statutory Direction No. 93, will not apply to buses registered in Delhi. Previously, under Direction Nos. 78 and 81, the Commission had stipulated that only BS-VI diesel, CNG, or electric intercity buses would be allowed to ply to Delhi-NCR from other NCR states as well as neighbouring states and Union Territories including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab. To ensure compliance with the new directions, CAQM has instructed the Transport and Traffic Police Departments of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) to implement appropriate enforcement mechanisms such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems and Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology at border checkpoints. The commission has also advised all state governments and UT administrations to ensure wide dissemination of these directions so that only permitted vehicles are routed to Delhi from November 1, 2026 onwards.
