Delhi’s air turned bad early this year, with October opening at an AQI of 166. Here is the winter plan to fight smog.

The winter action plan runs from November 1 to February 2027. Delhi’s air usually worsens in winter as local emissions mix with weather that traps pollutants close to the ground.

From November 1, half of government and private employees will work from home. Non-BS-VI vehicles from outside Delhi will be barred. Metro parking charges will double and office timings will be staggered.

Petrol pumps will enforce a No PUCC, No Fuel rule. Construction activity faces a ban from November. Construction dust, road dust and open burning are the main local sources.

The new AI-based Integrated Command and Control Centre is the enforcement backbone. AI cameras will watch over 700 construction sites. GPS will track sweepers. Complaints, AQI data and inspection reports will sit on one dashboard.

Rapid-action Vayu Rakshak teams will patrol 39 divisions with body cameras. The official mantra is Detect, Analyse, Act, Verify. This winter will be the system’s first real test.