AI to arrest mounting Delhi air pollution

The Delhi government is set to examine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor, analyse, and manage air pollution in the national capital, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced.

According to reports, the Delhi government is likely to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the AIRAWAT Research Foundation (ARF), affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, in coming days.

Highlighting the need for innovation, Manjinder Singh Sirsa said Delhi must adopt technology-backed solutions to combat pollution. He emphasized that the government is committed to leveraging credible scientific and technological tools to safeguard public health. The MoU, he noted, reflects an effort to build a more responsive and intelligent environmental governance system.

The proposed agreement with ARF is expected to lay the groundwork for deploying AI-powered, sensor-based, and data-driven systems to strengthen the city’s air quality management framework.

The partnership is expected to function as a knowledge collaboration and, at present, does not involve any financial commitment from the environment department. Sirsa clarified that the initiative aims to evaluate the effectiveness of AI-based air quality technologies developed by ARF.

Officials believe the collaboration could offer deeper insights into pollution trends, help identify localised sources of emissions, and enable quicker, more targeted interventions through the integration of AI tools, sensor networks, and advanced analytics.

The environment minister added that such long-term partnerships are essential for addressing Delhi’s persistent air quality challenges. He stressed that short-term measures alone are insufficient, and that comprehensive systems capable of detecting, predicting, and mitigating pollution are crucial for lasting improvement.

Last year, Manjinder Singh Sirsa launched a major innovation drive to combat air pollution, offering cash prizes of up to Rs 50 lakh for practical and scalable solutions that can significantly reduce pollution levels in the capital. The government is also mulling to implement a ‘CM-Pragati Dashboard’ to fast-track major public infrastructure projects that would include waste management and waste-to-energy projects to reduce pollution.