CAQM Reviews NCR Compliance and Enforcement Actions, Conducting 124 Inspections Between September 25 and October 9, 2026
Distilled Policy Brief
- The Commission mandated flying squads to strictly prioritize inspections of 'Red' and 'Orange' category industries, specifically targeting operations involving furnaces and boilers, to curb severe industrial emissions.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
Understand the statutory mandate, powers, and jurisdiction of CAQM, alongside the CPCB classification of industries into Red, Orange, Green, and White categories based on Pollution Index (PI).
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Evaluate the efficacy of statutory inter-state mechanisms like CAQM and its Enforcement Task Force in addressing persistent seasonal air pollution in the NCR.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
With reference to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and Adjoining Areas, consider the following statements regarding its enforcement actions and flying squads: 1. The flying squads have been mandated to strictly prioritize inspections of 'Red' and 'Orange' category industries, particularly targeting operations involving furnaces and boilers. 2. All work resumption orders issued after compliance verification are exclusively related to industrial units rather than construction and demolition (C&D) sites. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- [A] 1 only
- [B] 2 only
- [C] Both 1 and 2
- [D] Neither 1 nor 2
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
Statement 1 is correct because the flying squads of the Commission are directed to strictly prioritize inspections of 'Red' and 'Orange' category industries, specifically targeting operations involving furnaces and boilers. Statement 2 is incorrect because work resumption orders issued during the reviewed period (such as up to 15.10.2026) were specifically related to construction and demolition (C&D) cases, not exclusively industrial units.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.