"Friend, Philosopher, Guide": Minister As Delhi Forms 2 Pollution Panels

New Delhi: Two days after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta held a high-level review meeting, the Delhi government on Saturday formally notified the constitution of a new Expert Group on Air Pollution Mitigation and a High-Level Implementation Committee. 

The announcement came on a day that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi remained in the 'very poor' category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi's overall AQI at 9 pm stood at 319, with the worst-hit areas being Mundka (381), Rohini (359), and Nehru Nagar (358) - neighbourhoods that consistently appear on the city's pollution hotspot list.

Announcing the development on X, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa described the Expert Group as a "friend, philosopher and guide" to the government. The panel includes senior atmospheric scientists, former environment ministry officials, and representatives from statutory bodies like the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

"Both the Expert Group and the Implementation Committee shall work in close coordination - one serving as the brain, and the other as the arm of our collective effort. I firmly believe that with the concerted efforts of the Government and the people of Delhi, we will, God willing, soon prevail in this war against pollution," Sirsa posted on X. 

In a move that further underscores our commitment to mitigating air pollution in Delhi, the Delhi Government has constituted an Expert Group on Air Pollution Mitigation.

This group will recommend measures for the prevention, control, abatement, and mitigation of air pollution in… pic.twitter.com/LOOM1Ye6pw

— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) December 6, 2025

The High-Level Implementation Committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, has been set up to ensure strict compliance with directives issued by the Delhi government, courts, and pollution-control authorities. Officials say this will help streamline enforcement across agencies like the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Public Works Department, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Delhi Development Authority, and the Delhi Police. 

Experts' Take

Environmentalists, however, argue that Delhi has seen multiple committees and expert panels over the years, many formed under court or statutory directions, with little lasting impact on the city's toxic air.

Experts said Delhi's winter smog is a recurring, predictable crisis, driven by local emissions, stubble burning, stagnant winds, and fragmented governance. Many argue that a high-level panel should have been constituted months before pollution levels began to spike.