Massive enforcement inspection conducted in Nuh, Haryana; 105 units/sites inspected by CAQM

1. At a Glance

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) carried out a large-scale enforcement inspection of 105 units/sites in Nuh district, Haryana on 02.01.2026 using 10 flying squads [S1].
Part of a winter-season NCR-wide enforcement drive to police compliance with statutory directions on industries, DG sets, C&D sites, road dust and biomass burning [S2].
Important for UPSC as a live case of executive federalism + environmental governance under the CAQM Act, 2021 [S3][S4].

On 2 January 2026, CAQM's flying squads inspected 105 units/sites across both conforming and non-conforming industrial areas of Nuh, Haryana — the operation was led by District Administration (DCs/duty magistrates) with Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and police support [S1].
This was part of a 16-day NCR-wide enforcement drive that CAQM reviewed in early January 2026 [S2].

1998: Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) set up for NCR under SC directions [S3].
Oct 2020: Ordinance route used to constitute CAQM (later lapsed) [S3].
13 Apr 2021: CAQM Act, 2021 (Act No. 29 of 2021) enacted; EPCA dissolved [S3][S4].
CAQM has since issued statutory directions, GRAP revisions, and conducted recurring flying-squad enforcement; Operation Clean Air drives have already covered Sonipat and other NCR districts [S2].

Parent Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) [S1].
Statutory base: Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021 [S3][S4].
Jurisdiction: NCR + adjoining areas of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (in addition to Delhi) [S3].
Composition powers: Coordination of state action, issuing binding directions, restricting polluting activities, R&D, training [S3].
Supersedes: EPCA (1998) — explicitly dissolved by the Act [S3].
Nuh operation specifics: 105 units/sites, 10 flying squad teams, both conforming and non-conforming industrial belts, joint inspection with HSPCB and district magistrates [S1].

Legal / Constitutional
CAQM directions are binding on persons/entities; non-compliance attracts penalties under the 2021 Act [S3].
Act overrides Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to the extent of inconsistency in NCR matters [S3].
Administrative / Federal
Use of district administration + HSPCB + police shows Centre-State-District convergence; flying squads are Centre-deployed but execution leans on state machinery [S1].
Environmental
Nuh has both conforming and non-conforming industrial clusters; non-conforming units are a key NCR pollution source the Commission targets through inspections [S1][S2].
Governance
Replaces ad-hoc, judiciary-driven EPCA model with a permanent statutory regulator with enforcement teeth [S3].

02 Jan 2026 — Nuh inspection: 105 units, 10 flying squads [S1].
Early Jan 2026 — CAQM reviewed a 16-day NCR enforcement drive covering industries, DG sets, C&D sites, road dust, biomass burning [S2].
2025 — Operation Clean Air enforcement inspections in Sonipat and other Haryana districts [S2].
2024 — Flying squads deployed to monitor paddy stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab [S2].

CAQM constituted under the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021 (Act 29 of 2021) [S3][S4].
CAQM is under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, not MoHUA or MoHFW [S1].
The Act dissolved EPCA, which was set up in 1998 [S3].
CAQM jurisdiction includes Delhi + adjoining areas of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and UP [S3].
10 flying squads inspected 105 units/sites in Nuh on 02.01.2026 [S1].
Inspection conducted in both conforming and non-conforming industrial areas [S1].
HSPCB = Haryana State Pollution Control Board, the state implementing agency partnered with CAQM [S1].
CAQM's directions are statutorily binding; violations can attract imprisonment/fines under the 2021 Act [S3].
CAQM replaced an authority created by Supreme Court direction (EPCA) [S3].

GS-III: Environment — Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation.
GS-II: Governance — Statutory bodies; Centre-State coordination; role of regulatory institutions.
Probable stems:
"The CAQM Act, 2021 marks a shift from judicial activism to executive regulation of NCR air pollution. Discuss."
"Examine the effectiveness of inspection-based enforcement, such as the Nuh operation of January 2026, in tackling industrial air pollution in NCR."
"Cooperative federalism is indispensable for airshed management. Comment with reference to CAQM."

CAQM is statutory (Act of Parliament), not a Supreme Court body or an executive notification.
CAQM ≠ CPCB; CPCB is older (1974, Water Act) and pan-India.
CAQM jurisdiction is NCR + adjoining areas, not all of India.
The Act dissolved EPCA; aspirants often still list EPCA as active.
Implementing ministry is MoEFCC, not Ministry of Earth Sciences or MoHUA.
Nuh is in Haryana, falls within NCR — sometimes confused with Mewat (Nuh was renamed from Mewat in 2016).

[S1] Massive enforcement inspection conducted in Nuh, Haryana; 105 units/sites inspected by CAQM — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2211117 — (tier 1)
[S2] CAQM reviews Inspection Outcomes during 16-day enforcement drive across NCR — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2212209 — (tier 1)
[S3] The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021 — https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-commission-for-air-quality-management-in-national-capital-region-and-adjoining-areas-bill-2021 — (tier 1)
[S4] CAQM in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021 (Act 29 of 2021) — https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/16898/1/a2021-29.pdf — (tier 1)