Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday ordered immediate enforcement of a complete ban on open burning of garbage and the use of coal or firewood in hotel and restaurant tandoors across the capital as the city continues to battle a prolonged spell of hazardous air quality.

The twin directives come under Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and carry stiff penalties: the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and district administrations have been empowered to impose on-the-spot fines of up to ₹5,000 on anyone caught burning waste in the open. “We humbly request every citizen not to burn garbage. Your small cooperation can bring a big change,” Gupta tweeted, urging voluntary compliance.

In a separate order issued under Section 31(A) of the Air Act, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) prohibited the use of coal and firewood in tandoors at all hotels, restaurants, dhabas, and open eateries with immediate effect. Coal-based cooking has been identified as a major localised source of PM2.5 emissions, especially in densely populated areas. Urban local bodies have been instructed to carry out surprise inspections and ensure a 100 per cent switchover to cleaner fuels such as LPG or electricity.

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Although the city’s overall Air Quality Index improved marginally to 291 (“poor”) on Tuesday from the “very poor” levels of the past week, several monitoring stations continued to record readings in the “very poor” and “severe” zones: Jahangirpuri (313), Anand Vihar (298), and Bawana (283). Health experts warned that prolonged exposure remains dangerous, particularly for children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.

The measures mark the first major anti-pollution steps taken by the newly sworn-in BJP government under CM Rekha Gupta, who replaced Arvind Kejriwal earlier this month. Similar bans on coal tandoors and open burning have been imposed in previous winters, but enforcement has often been lax; authorities have now promised stricter monitoring and heavier deployment of marshals and flying squads.

With forecasts predicting a further dip in temperatures and calmer winds over the next 48 hours, officials fear a fresh spike in pollution levels unless immediate curbs are rigorously implemented. Delhiites have been asked to minimise private vehicle use, switch to public transport, and report open burning incidents through the Green Delhi app.

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