NCR pollution: ANPR cameras due by 30 Nov, transport officials warned

Representative image. Prami.ap90, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Why it matters

The deadlines put officials, not only polluters, on the hook: transport officers face prosecution if cameras are missing after 30 November, and named city officers must report weekly. For factories without filters, the order means sealing.

States in the National Capital Region (NCR) must install automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, or transport department officials could face criminal prosecution by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) after 30 November 2026. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav gave that warning at a review of NCR pollution measures with Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on Saturday, 14 November, ETV Bharat, a news site, reported.

He also told the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to seal industrial units that have not even ordered air pollution control devices despite repeated instructions. The two reports read disagree on how many units that covers, as explained below.

The NCR pollution orders, deadline by deadline

ANPR cameras read vehicle number plates automatically, so old or polluting vehicles can be caught without a manual check. Yadav also asked states to speed up ANPR systems at fuel stations, linked to VAHAN, the national vehicle registration database, and to pollution under control (PUC) certificate records, according to ETV Bharat.

• 30 November 2026: after this date CAQM would start criminal prosecution of transport department officials where ANPR cameras are not installed (ETV Bharat).
• 31 December 2026: multi-lane free-flow traffic systems at 154 entry points into Delhi, India Today reported.
• 2028: trucks and buses older than BS-VI, the current emission standard, to be replaced with BS-VI, CNG or electric vehicles. India Today named the scheme for this PARIVARTAN.
• Every week: states must name secretary-level officers for 7 cities in Haryana, 4 in Uttar Pradesh and 4 in Rajasthan, who will inspect and report to CAQM. CAQM was asked to issue notices to officers who do not perform (ETV Bharat).

The minister also ordered immediate action at 233 congestion points across the NCR, with fresh assessments by the states. State environment ministers Manjinder Singh Sirsa of Delhi, Rao Narbir Singh of Haryana and Arun Kumar Saxena of Uttar Pradesh joined online, ETV Bharat said. Yadav has held more than 30 such review meetings in the past year, it reported.

191 or 91 industries to be sealed: what the reports say

India Today reported that the CPCB was told to seal 191 industries in the NCR. ETV Bharat, reporting the same meeting, gave the number as 91 non-conforming units. Both describe the same group: units that had not placed orders for air pollution control devices. The ministry’s release on the Press Information Bureau (PIB) site did not load for NewsPlainly, so the correct figure could not be checked against it.

The wider industry figures match in both reports. Of 2,345 targeted industries in the NCR, 2,298 are now connected to online continuous emission monitoring systems (OCEMS), which send pollution readings to regulators in real time. That is 98%. The remaining 47 have been closed or sealed. Yadav asked for strict enforcement of the 50 mg/Nm³ limit for particulate emissions from factories, with closure, power cuts and sealing for units that break it, ETV Bharat reported.

Small and medium units can seek money for pollution control equipment under the Swachh Pawan Neel Gagan, Swasth NCR (SPNG-NCR) scheme, and the minister asked state pollution boards to help them apply, according to ETV Bharat.

How far NCR work has got: roads, waste and dust

The review put numbers on several targets. NewsPlainly worked out how much is left on the road target from the figures given.

Target	Status given at the review
Roads to redevelop: 5,480 km	3,221 km done; 2,259 km (41%) left, by NewsPlainly’s calculation
Industries on OCEMS: 2,345	2,298 connected; 47 closed or sealed
Municipal waste processing	Shortfall of 6,747 tonnes a day
Construction sites	More than 3,000 to be physically inspected

Road-owning agencies were told to repair potholes and footpaths and run road-sweeping machines in two shifts. On waste, the minister asked for faster removal of old garbage at the Okhla, Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Bandhwari landfills. He also wanted hotspot action plans for markets, schools, hospitals, railway stations and bus terminals in major NCR cities.

Delhi’s air on the day of the review

Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) was 348 at 9 am on Saturday, in the very poor band, citing CPCB data, India Today reported. Friday’s 24-hour average at 4 pm was 373. Seven of the city’s 59 monitoring stations were in the severe band, above 400, on Saturday morning.

The review asked all agencies to enforce the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the stage-wise list of curbs that tightens as AQI rises. India Today carried these readings in the same report as the NCR pollution orders.

Earlier coverage of the city’s readings is in our report on 24 Delhi stations crossing 400.

Frequently asked questions

What is the ANPR deadline for NCR states?

CAQM would start criminal prosecution of transport department officials after 30 November 2026 where ANPR cameras are not installed, ETV Bharat reported from the minister's review.

How many industries will be sealed in the NCR?

India Today reported 191 and ETV Bharat 91. Both refer to units that had not ordered air pollution control devices.

How much of the NCR road redevelopment target is done?

3,221 km of 5,480 km, leaving 2,259 km, by NewsPlainly's calculation.