Delhi-NCR is racing against time once again to rein in rising pollution levels, prompting the government to push for immediate on-ground action. The Environment Minister, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, has announced that all potholes across the region must be repaired within 72 hours.
As the smog of winter tightens its noose, the administration contends that potholes are not a mere civic nuisance, they trigger dust clouds, slow traffic and increase fuel consumption. The move comes at a time when the city is operating under Level 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan, a stage where pre-emptive measures become crucial to prevent the situation from sliding into severe emergency mode.
Delhi Potholes to be Fixed Within 72 Hours
Sirsa said the repairs at speed will be done by the Public Works Department, while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will deploy water sprinklers at construction and demolition sites to avoid dust settling into the air.
दिल्ली सचिवालय में प्रदूषण नियंत्रण पर सभी संबंधित विभागों के साथ विस्तृत समीक्षा बैठक की।
सख्त निर्देश दिए गए हैं कि प्रदूषण नियंत्रण के प्रति किसी भी प्रकार की लापरवाही कतई बर्दाश्त नहीं की जाएगी। हमारी सरकार प्रदूषण को इमरजेंसी मिशन की तरह लेकर तुरंत और प्रभावी कार्रवाई कर… pic.twitter.com/6yQXAdMtEd
— Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) December 3, 2025
The sprinklers will soon be installed at additional sites across NCR cities such as Gurugram, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. The minister emphasized that potholes create a sizable amount of secondary particulate pollution, thus requiring their urgent repair.
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Monitoring Industrial Pollution
The industries in Delhi have been given a warning to comply with the pollution-control norms within 20 days. Sirsa warned that units flouting the rules beyond that would be shut down and heavily fined.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee will start challans immediately. Any process that involves dust be it construction, repair work on roads or bulk repair would henceforth require advance approval from the government.
Strengthening Long-term Green Measures
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will establish a new expert committee to study air-quality trends and suggest timely interventions. The government is also pushing for greener neighbourhoods.
Local bodies have been instructed to revive barren parks and increase tree planting with active public involvement. MCD has been directed to hire at least 1,000 vacuum based litter pickers within 45 days to reduce dust on roads.
Stricter Vehicle and Traffic Enforcement
BS-2 and BS-3 vehicles need compulsory pollution testing, while trucks below BS-4 norms won’t be allowed to ply in Delhi-NCR. Violating vehicles will be impounded on the spot. Sirsa said that previous governments have failed in bringing pollution under control.
“All the odd-even traffic plans by previous regimes were mere drama. Nobody knows what benefits these have brought, as there are no measurable results,” he said.
A high-level meeting led by the chief minister was also held to assess TERI’s latest report on microplastics and froth formation in the Yamuna with more action expected in the coming weeks.
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Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and government statements. It is intended for news and analysis, not legal or official guidance.
