The Delhi government has identified 62 chronic traffic congestion hotspots across the capital that are significantly worsening the city’s air quality by causing prolonged vehicle idling during peak hours. An internal multi-agency presentation accessed by HT reveals that more than half of these choke points experience severe gridlock during morning and evening rush hours, with prominent bottlenecks including Bhavbhuti Marg near New Delhi Railway Station, Punjabi Bagh roundabout, Safdarjung Hospital, Ajmeri Gate, and the Max Hospital stretch in Saket.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced on Friday that short-term decongestion measures have already begun at several locations, with medium- and long-term structural interventions to follow in the coming months. The initiative forms a key component of Delhi’s winter anti-pollution strategy under the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), as traffic-related emissions are now recognised as a major contributor alongside dust, stubble burning, and industrial sources.

The hotspots span every district, from Kashmere Gate and Anand Vihar in the east to Madhuban Chowk in the northwest and South Extension in the south. Common triggers include narrow carriageways, illegal parking, broken medians, encroachments, poorly timed signals, and ongoing civil works. At Boulevard Road near Tis Hazari, lawyers’ vehicles routinely block both carriageways and DTC bus stops, while weekend crowds at Majnu Ka Tila’s Tibetan market turn narrow lanes into parking lots.

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Immediate actions include intensified traffic policing, towing of illegally parked vehicles, removal of hawkers, pothole repairs, and repainting of lane markings. Medium-term plans (30–90 days) involve junction redesigns, optimised signal cycles, relocation of bus and auto stands, and better signage. Long-term solutions, slated beyond 90 days, encompass road widening, construction of foot overbridges and underpasses, adaptive smart signals, dedicated bus lanes, and landscaped barricading to curb jaywalking.

Experts welcomed the targeted approach but stressed that lasting relief will require massive investment in public transport, safe cycling infrastructure, and pedestrian pathways. “Congestion management alone is firefighting; only a shift away from private vehicles can deliver clean air,” said Sunil Dahiya of Envirocatalysts. With Delhi’s AQI hovering in the ‘very poor’ category, officials said visible improvements at several choke points are expected within months as the multi-phase plan rolls out.

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