Delhi Implements ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ Rule; BS-VI Vehicles From Outside Barred From Entry

The Delhi government has officially enforced the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule from Thursday, a critical step in its efforts to tackle the city’s worsening air pollution.

Authorities will bar vehicle owners without valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates from refuelling and will allow entry only to BS-VI compliant vehicles registered outside Delhi.

Authorities continue to prohibit trucks carrying construction materials and restrict construction activity under GRAP norms, promising to take strict action against violators.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa emphasised that the measures are part of a comprehensive plan to address vehicular emissions, dust, waste, and traffic congestion.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Sirsa highlighted reforms to the PUC system, including the introduction of third-party monitoring and the rollout of a city-wide car-pooling app.

From Thursday, 126 checkpoints across Delhi, including at city borders, will enforce the fuel ban, supported by 580 police personnel and 37 Prakhar Vans.

The transport department will station teams at petrol pumps, and Sirsa urged residents to cooperate, emphasising that the measures protect public health.

The government is also mandating a 50 per cent work-from-home policy across government and private offices to reduce vehicular load.

The government is exploring partnerships with Google Maps and Map India to identify traffic hotspots using live data. It is also planning an integrated traffic management system to dynamically adjust signals and decongest roads, thereby reducing vehicular emissions.

Mechanised Cleaning and Pollution Control

To combat dust pollution, the Public Works Department (PWD) will deploy 70 mechanical road sweepers, 1,000 litter pickers, and 300 water sprinklers citywide.

Over the next decade, the Delhi government will allocate Rs 2,700 crore to the Municipal Corporation for mechanised cleaning equipment.

PWD has also implemented a permanent pothole-monitoring mechanism to ensure repairs within 72 hours, as potholes contribute significantly to dust pollution.

The Delhi government has signed an MoU with IIT-Madras to pilot titanium oxide-based photocatalytic ‘smog-eating’ surfaces, which can reduce nitrogen dioxide and harmful hydrocarbons, following successful implementation in other global cities.

Sirsa underlined that pollution in Delhi stems from four primary sources: vehicular emissions, industrial output, dust, and solid waste.

The government aims to target at least 100 pollution and traffic hotspots for intervention, responding to the increase in such areas from 13 during the previous administration to 62 at present.

Also Read: Delhi-NCR Shrouded In Dense Smog As Air Quality Hits ‘Severe’ Levels