Delhi opens 24-hour pollution command centre at Shastri Park

More than 700 construction sites in Delhi will be monitored from a new 24-hour pollution command centre in Shastri Park.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched the Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s Integrated Command and Control Centre, which brings AI-based analysis, live CCTV feeds, air-quality data and GPS tracking of mechanical road-sweeping machines and field teams onto one platform.

The centre will alert the relevant department when it identifies a pollution hotspot or suspected violation, then track the response of 78 sub-division-level teams through GPS-enabled vehicles. It will monitor road dust, open burning of waste and biomass, and construction sites larger than 500 square metres. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said site owners can be alerted when PM10 levels rise.

Local Vayudoot teams and DPCC inspectors will use body cameras linked to the centre during inspections. The DPCC also plans to add cameras to detect open burning.

The centre will analyse readings from Delhi’s AQI stations and historical data to identify local pollution patterns. Residents can submit complaints, suggestions and information on pollution-control efforts through the Jan Suggestion portal. Staff will work in shifts to keep the facility operational round the clock.