Lok Sabha Question No. 4839 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-23
Subject: Enforcement Action under CAQM
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Ms Iqra Choudhary, Shri Devesh Shakya, Shri Pushpendra Saroj, Adv Priya Saroj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4839

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026

## Enforcement Action Under CAQM

## 4839.   MS IQRA CHOUDHARY:

ADV PRIYA SAROJ:

SHRI DEVESH SHAKYA:

SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of industrial units, construction sites and other entities found violating Graded Response  Action  Plan  (GRAP)  norms,  State/UT-wise  and  district-wise  for  Uttar  Pradesh, including Etah and Kasganj;
- (b) the details of penalties imposed under the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) directions, including the number of closure orders issued, environmental compensation levied and amounts actually recovered, State/UT-wise, including the said districts;
- (c)  the  number  of  repeated  violators  identified,  and  action  taken  against  them  including prosecution or sealing of premises, State/UT-wise, including the said districts;
- (d) the gap between penalties imposed and penalties realised, along with reasons for non- recovery or delay in enforcement, State/UT-wise, including the said districts; and
- (e) the monitoring mechanism adopted by the Government to ensure strict compliance and prevent seasonal, temporary enforcement limited only to peak pollution periods

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) to (e): To address air pollution in Delhi-NCR, Government has established the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) under the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR  and  Adjoining  Areas  Act,  2021  for  better  coordination,  research,  identification  and resolution  of  problems  of  air  pollution  in  Delhi-  NCR  and  adjoining  areas.  CAQM  has  been provided powers under the Act to take measures and issue directions to the various agencies in the National Capital Region for protecting and improving air quality. Etah and Kasganj districts of Uttar Pradesh are not part of Delhi-NCR.

So far, CAQM has issued 98 Statutory Directions and 17 Advisories to concerned stakeholders for control of air pollution in Delhi-NCR inter-alia include prescribing stringent emission norms various polluting activities, mandated thermal power plants located within 300 km of Delhi and coal based Captive Thermal Power Plants in the Delhi-NCR for co-firing of biomass pellets (up to 5 to 10%), mandating use of paddy straw-based bio-mass pellets / briquettes in all brick kilns located in the districts beyond NCR in Punjab and Haryana. A monitoring mechanism has been put in place and these directions are rigorously monitored for implementation through periodic progress reviews, issuing subsequent orders and directions from time to time.

Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is an emergency response action plan for NCR, which calls for a set of emergent preventive/restrictive actions across stipulated sectors in the GRAP schedule, depending on air quality of Delhi.

Enforcement Task Force (ETF) has been constituted to monitor and supervise the implementation of  the  statutory  directions  issued  by  the  CAQM from  time  to  time  and  related  environmental statutes on matters related to air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

Flying Squads/Inspection Teams have been formed to carry out incognito checks, throughout the year  including  GRAP  periods,  for  identifying  serious  violations/statutory  directions  issued  by CAQM for taking appropriate action thereon, based on the seriousness of non-compliances. These inspections are to supplement the actions of SPCBs/DPCC in their enforcement primarily focusing on industries, C& D activities and DG sets.

The ETF, through its regular  meetings, considers the  recommendations  of the Flying  Squads/ Inspection  Teams  and  recommends  appropriate  directions  on  each  of  the  inspection  reports, including reviewing the status of various Closure Directions and Resumption Orders issued by the CAQM.

A Sub-Committee on Safeguarding and Enforcement has also been constituted to monitor the enforcement actions by different agencies.

With regard to penalties, Environmental Compensation charges are levied and realized on/from polluting units by the concerned State Pollution Control Boards/Committees before consideration of resumption.

State-wise details of enforcement actions taken during the invocation of GRAP from 14.10.2025 to 16.03.2026 including District-wise actions in Uttar Pradesh regarding control of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, are provided at Annexure .

***

## State-wise details of enforcement actions taken by CAQM during the GRAP period from 14.10.2025 to 16.03.2026 including District-wise actions in Uttar Pradesh regarding control of air pollution in Delhi-NCR

- i. The actions taken for the violation reported during this period are as under:

## (i) Industrial Sector :

| Action                                    |   UP |   Haryana |   Delhi |   Rajasthan |   Total |
|-------------------------------------------|------|-----------|---------|-------------|---------|
| Closures                                  |   53 |        98 |      03 |          08 |     162 |
| Show Cause Notices (SCN)                  |   79 |        95 |      01 |          12 |     187 |
| Letter to SPCBs/DPCC for imposition of EC |   04 |        09 |      01 |          01 |      15 |

Out of this, one Unit was found repeat violator. UPPCB was directed to impose deterrent EC charges and file prosecution action against the repeat violator.

## District wise details of Uttar Pradesh

| Sl. No.   | District Name   |   Closure | SCN   | Letter for EC   |
|-----------|-----------------|-----------|-------|-----------------|
| 1.        | Baghpat         |        01 | -     | -               |
| 2.        | Bulandshahar    |        07 | 04    | -               |
| 3.        | Gautambudhnagar |        09 | 10    | 01              |
| 4.        | Ghaziabad       |        14 | 33    | -               |
| 5.        | Hapur           |        11 | 13    | 02              |
| 6.        | Meerut          |        03 | 11    | -               |
| 7.        | Muzaffarnagar   |        06 | 08    | 01              |
| 8.        | Shamli          |        02 | -     | -               |
| TOTAL     | TOTAL           |        53 | 79    | 04              |

## (ii) Construction & Demolition Activities

| Action                                      |   UP |   Haryana |   Delhi |   Rajasthan |   Total |
|---------------------------------------------|------|-----------|---------|-------------|---------|
| Closures                                    |   28 |        30 |       0 |           3 |      61 |
| SCN                                         |   07 |        16 |      05 |          00 |      28 |
| Letter to UPPCB, HSPCB for imposition of EC |   05 |        01 |       0 |           0 |      06 |

Out of this the repeat violators identified were -03 sites. SPCBs/DPCC were directed to impose deterrent EC charges and file prosecution action against repeat violators.

## District wise list of Uttar Pradesh:

| Sl. No.   | District Name   |   ClosureSCNLetter to UPPCB for imposing EC |   ClosureSCNLetter to UPPCB for imposing EC |   ClosureSCNLetter to UPPCB for imposing EC |
|-----------|-----------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Baghpat         |                                           0 |                                           0 |                                           0 |
| 2.        | Bulandshahar    |                                           0 |                                           0 |                                           0 |
| 3.        | Gautambudhnagar |                                          24 |                                          04 |                                          04 |
| 4.        | Ghaziabad       |                                           1 |                                          03 |                                          01 |
| 5.        | Hapur           |                                           2 |                                           0 |                                           0 |
| 6.        | Meerut          |                                           0 |                                           0 |                                           0 |
| 7.        | Muzaffarnagar   |                                           1 |                                           0 |                                           0 |
| 8.        | Shamli          |                                           0 |                                           0 |                                           0 |
| TOTAL     | TOTAL           |                                          28 |                                          07 |                                          05 |

## (iii) Status of DG Sets- Sealing

From 19.10.2025 (stage -II) to 16.03.2026 (during GRAP Period)

| Sealing of DG - Sets   |   UP |   Haryana |   Delhi |   Rajasthan |   Total |
|------------------------|------|-----------|---------|-------------|---------|
| Units                  |   66 |        84 |      11 |          07 |     168 |
| No. of DG-Sets         |   90 |       110 |      14 |          09 |     223 |

## District - wise status of UP (DG - Sealing)

| Sl. No.   | District Name   | Units   | No. of DG-Sets   |
|-----------|-----------------|---------|------------------|
| 1.        | Baghpat         | -       | -                |
| 2.        | Bulandshahar    | 2       | 2                |
| 3.        | Gautambudhnagar | 18      | 26               |
| 4.        | Ghaziabad       | 20      | 25               |
| 5.        | Hapur           | 13      | 13               |
| 6.        | Meerut          | 08      | 13               |
| 7.        | Muzaffarnagar   | 04      | 10               |
| 8.        | Shamli          | 01      | 01               |
| Total     | Total           | 66      | 90               |