CAQM flags MCD toll plaza congestion; emphasises urgent action to curb Delhi-NCR emissions

New Delhi: Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Thursday flagged congestion at MCD toll plazas as a significant concern, stressing the need for urgent rollout of barrier-free tolling systems to curb vehicular emissions in Delhi-NCR.The issue was raised at the 27th full commission meeting held on Friday, where the panel reviewed a report submitted to the Supreme Court on congestion at MCD toll plazas.
The commission highlighted the need for expeditious implementation of barrier-free Multi-Lane Free Flow systems integrated with RFID and Automatic Number Plate Recognition technologies to ease traffic snarls and reduce pollution.The meeting also deliberated on a meta-analysis of source apportionment studies (2015–2025) prepared by a panel of 33 domain experts pursuant to Supreme Court directions. The analysis identified PM2.5 as the dominant pollutant impacting Delhi's AQI, driven by both local emissions and transboundary pollution.Among key decisions, the commission approved additional Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) across NCR. " A total of 46 additional stations are to be established; 14 in Delhi, 16 in Haryana, one in Rajasthan and 15 in Uttar Pradesh. With this augmentation, the total number of CAAQMS would increase to 157." stated CAQM.Reiterating the need for coordinated enforcement, the commission said sustained structural measures across transport, industry, dust control, waste management and biomass burning would be closely monitored.