Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has unveiled the Clean Air Action 2026, a preventive plan to fight the capital’s winter pollution before the smog season sets in.

The plan includes higher parking fees to discourage private vehicle use, staggered office hours to reduce peak-hour congestion, and stricter curbs on construction activity. Dust-control measures at construction sites will be enforced more tightly.

The announcement comes ahead of winter, when Delhi’s air quality typically deteriorates sharply due to a mix of vehicle emissions, construction dust, stubble burning in neighbouring states and unfavourable weather.

Officials said the measures are designed to act early rather than wait for pollution levels to spike. The graded response action plan, or GRAP, kicks in only after pollution crosses thresholds; the new action plan aims to keep the city from reaching that stage.

Environmental experts welcomed the early move but said enforcement would be key. Past winter plans have often struggled with implementation on the ground. The government said it would review progress regularly through the season.