Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee formulates air action plan to check air pollution

The Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) has formulated a detailed air action plan to control air pollution in the city. In an affidavit submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Chandigarh district magistrate (DM) Nishant Kumar Yadav informed that the detailed action plan includes both short-term strategies such as emergency road sprinkling and construction regulation, and long-term goals like expansion of the city’s green cover, adoption of electric vehicles, traffic management, and improved public transport.

Additionally, CPCC has encouraged high density plantations to improve dust filtration and carbon sequestration, and it has highlighted the creation of green buffer zones in pollution-prone locations. For a more efficient and successful implementation, this strategy was created after consultation with all relevant departments, and submitted to the DM.

During the last three months, air quality remained largely in the satisfactory to moderate category (AQI up to 200). Only two days of poor air quality were observed during Diwali, while five days in December fell under the poor category. The AQI reached the very poor category on only one day on December 20, 2025, submitted the DM.

To address the air pollution issues, the CPCC has given the study of ‘Source Apportionment, Emission Inventory and Carrying Capacity for Chandigarh to Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IITK) and Indian Institute of Technology-Ropar (IITRPR). The main objectives of the study are the preparation of emission inventory, air quality monitoring in three seasons, the chemical composition of PM10 and PM2.5, apportionment sources to ambient air quality, and trend analysis in historical air quality data. The study is under progress and the final report will be submitted by IITK and IITRPR by March 2026.