Air pollution in Delhi-NCR is an airshed problem requiring a regional, not municipal, response. Examine the role of CAQM in light of recent judicial observations on vehicular emissions.

Delhi's air does not stop at municipal borders. On 6 November 2026, a Supreme Court Bench headed by CJI Surya Kant flagged a sharp rise in vehicular emissions, a year-round source. It sought responses from the MCD and the Delhi Government, and also from Haryana, UP and Rajasthan [1]. This supports the airshed logic behind the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), created under the 2021 Act.

Why an airshed, not municipal, response

• Transboundary load: Delhi-NCR carries vehicles from three neighbouring States. The Court asked how out-of-State traffic is identified and monitored [1].
• Fragmented authority: the MCD, the Delhi Government and the Traffic Police each hold only one lever [1].
• Local checks have failed: over 1.08 lakh vehicles got PUC certificates despite exceeding CO/HC limits, and Delhi lacked data on the vehicles plying its roads [2].

Role of CAQM

• Binding regional directions: under Direction No. 93, only BS-VI diesel, CNG or electric buses may enter Delhi from 1 November 2026 [3].
• Graded response: it ratified the revised GRAP at its 26th meeting in December 2025, in line with Supreme Court directions [4].
• Evidence base: an Expert Committee (December 2025) is assessing segment-wise vehicular emissions [5].
• Fiscal support: a ₹9,585-crore NCRPB scheme replaces old trucks and buses. BS-III and older vehicles must be scrapped at Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities [6].

Gaps exposed by judicial observations

• Border-centric design: the entry curbs exempt Delhi-registered vehicles and do not cover private cars [3].
• Weak enforcement: only 2.98 lakh of 47.51 lakh End-of-Life Vehicles were deregistered between 2018-19 and 2020-21 [2].
• Shared responsibility: the Court said the people, not the judiciary, must act [1]. CAQM and the States must therefore own enforcement themselves rather than wait for court orders.

Way forward

• Roadside remote sensing of emissions and third-party audits of PUC centres.
• Neighbouring States should clean up traffic inside their own NCR districts, not just at Delhi's border.
• Time-bound, measurable targets for CAQM, along with more public transport.

CAQM gives the NCR the regional structure it needs, but its entry curbs at Delhi's border must be backed by stronger enforcement and better data. A CAQM that coordinates the States around measurable targets can make the Article 21 right to clean air a daily reality, in line with SDG 11.