Evaluate CAQM's effectiveness in coordinating multi-State action on air quality in the NCR.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) was set up under the CAQM Act, 2021. It replaced a scattered set of court-led arrangements with one statutory regulator covering Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Its record is mixed: it coordinates States well on paper but delivers unevenly on the ground.

Strengths: a single command across States

• Binding statutory directions: Its February 2026 Direction told Punjab, Haryana and UP to map every farm, appoint nodal officers, raise a district/block-level "Parali Protection Force" and submit monthly progress reports [1].
• Accountability down the chain: It authorised DCs/DMs to file prosecution complaints against officials who fail to act [2].
• Linking agriculture and energy: Thermal plants within 300 km of NCR must use ≥50% paddy straw. Coal plants in NCR must co-fire ≥5% biomass pellets [3].
• Visible outcomes: More than 3 lakh CRM machines and over 40,000 Custom Hiring Centres have been provided [2]. CAQM reports a sharp fall in paddy stubble fires compared with 2021, and it ratified a revised GRAP [4].

Weaknesses: coordination without convergence

• Implementation gap: States still carry out the rules. Even with an elimination target, Punjab recorded 3,729 and Haryana 2,683 fire counts between 1 April and 6 May 2026 [3].
• Mandates move faster than markets: By March 2022, only 7 of 11 thermal plants near Delhi had started co-firing [5]. Without collection at the farm gate, demand for straw exists mostly on paper.
• Enforcement aimed at farmers: A Supreme Court Bench led by CJI Surya Kant called stubble one of several contributors, with vehicles and industry playing a significant role. The BKS asked States to stop penalising farmers and "move beyond paperwork" [6].
• Narrow focus: Most of CAQM's visible effort goes to stubble burning, which is seasonal. Vehicular, industrial and dust pollution continue all year [6].

Verdict

CAQM has succeeded as a coordinator: it has built a common rulebook and a chain of accountability across five jurisdictions. It has been less effective as a problem-solver. To close the gap, it should follow the Supreme Court's suggestion of procuring crop residue before imposing penalties, check each plant's actual co-firing, and give city sources the same weight through NCAP. Doing so would turn coordination into cleaner air and uphold the right to a healthy environment under Article 21 and SDG 11.6.