Union Minister meets start-up leaders over NCR pollution - The HinduUpdated - October 19, 2026 02:34 am ISTUnion Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, on Saturday interacted with representatives of start-ups and innovation companies working on air pollution mitigation, with a focus on developing practical, scalable and technology-driven solutions to address the air pollution challenge in Delhi-NCR.Innovative approaches for low-cost mechanised road sweeping, monitoring road-dust resuspension, portable pothole repair and modular dust-containment systems were also discussed.The Minister informed that the main focus of the interaction was on using artificial intelligence, sensors, remote sensing, satellite and drone-based technologies and data analytics to move towards real-time understanding of air pollution. He said that solutions presented by the innovators include hyperlocal air-quality monitoring, city-wide pollution mapping, hotspot identification and forecasting, AI-based source apportionment, real-time identification of pollution sources and predictive traffic-congestion management.Technologies were displayed for 24x7 detection of stubble and open biomass burning, as well as automated identification of vehicles without valid PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificates and over-aged vehicles, which could further strengthen timely enforcement and intervention, he added.Some of these companies are already working with different government bodies and more are expected to work with the government in different levels in the coming months, an official said.Published - October 18, 2026 01:25 am ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }