Delhi Air Pollution Action Plan 2026 Targets 15% Cut in Annual Avg PM2.5: Here’s How

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on February 8 received detailed pollution mitigation plans aimed at slashing pollution in the region this year which has been submitted by twelve cities across the National Capital Region (NCR), along with four NCR states and Delhi, reported Hindustan Times.

According to reports, states such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan have also submitted their plans underscoring sector-specific strategies to reduce the annual average Air Quality Index (AQI). The NCR cities that sent proposals include Noida, Greater Noida, Meerut, Agra, Ghaziabad, Karnal, Faridabad, Gurugram, Manesar, Panipat, Rohtak and Sonipat.

Target for Reducing Pollution

The national capital has set a target of reducing its annual average AQI by 15% in 2026 compared to the average in last five years. The plan also proposes a 15% reduction in annual average PM2.5 concentrations and a 20% reduction in PM10 levels in 2026. Delhi’s annual average AQI stood at 191 in 2025. The target for 2026 is to bring it down to 177. Annual average PM2.5 levels are proposed to be reduced from 99 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) to 96 µg/m³, while PM10 levels are targeted to decline from 209 µg/m³ to 177 µg/m³, reported Hindustan Times.

The plan further stated the addition of six more stations called the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) which are under procurement to meet the optimum requirement of 46 monitoring stations and will be installed soon. In addition, vehicular pollution will also be among a focus area emphasising expansion of public transport and last-mile connectivity.

The action plan emphasises on waste management, dust control and cleaner mobility to reduce pollution. It suggests using electric rickshaws, e-autos and e-bikes—which together accounted for over 1.83mn daily users in November 2025, according to DMRC data—to improve last-mile connectivity at metro and RRTS stations. Road redevelopment, water sprinkling and mechanised sweeping will be the methods used by PWD, MCD, DDA and DSIIDC to control road dust. The plan also establishes deadlines for the establishment of a 1,000-tonne-per-day C&D waste plant by December 2026, the removal of legacy waste at Okhla by July 2026, Bhalswa by December 2026 and Ghazipur by December 2027. CAQM will periodically assess the progress of these projects.

Health and Economic Impacts

Public health gains could be helpful if targets are met. The World Health Organisation (WHO) links PM2.5 exposure to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, stating that exposure to air pollution significantly increases the risk of strokes, heart and lung disease, cancer and other ailments, causing more than 6.7mn premature deaths a year.

According to a report published by Dalberg, India could unlock as much as $220bn in economic gains by 2030 by curbing across its major polluting sectors.