In a stringent move to tackle the capital's deteriorating air quality, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced a series of sweeping restrictions on vehicular entry and fuel dispensing, set to take effect from Thursday.
Entry Ban and Fuel Restrictions Enforced
All private vehicles that are below BS-VI emission standards and not registered in Delhi will be barred from entering the national capital starting Thursday. This prohibition will remain active as long as stages III and IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) are enforced. Currently, all four stages of GRAP are operational across Delhi-NCR.
Simultaneously, the minister declared that no vehicle will be allowed to refuel at petrol pumps without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. To ensure compliance, the government will deploy Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems and conduct on-ground checks to verify the PUC status and emission category of vehicles.
Strict Enforcement at 156 Entry Points
Enforcement teams will be stationed at Delhi's 156 entry points, where green tax and tolls are collected. Vehicles found non-compliant with the BS-VI standard will be turned back. "Delhi will not allow any polluting vehicle to enter and pollute the air," Sirsa stated emphatically during a press conference. He added that non-Delhi registered vehicles below BS-VI standards have been given time until Wednesday to exit the city.
Furthermore, when GRAP IV is in force, trucks carrying construction and demolition waste will be prohibited from entering Delhi and will be subject to seizure. A ban on construction and demolition activity is already active under the GRAP framework.
Industry Response and Government's Green Push
The Delhi Petrol Dealers Association welcomed the decision but highlighted the practical challenges of enforcement. In a statement, they requested the government to deploy personnel from concerned enforcement authorities at every petrol pump, calling the task "extremely difficult and arduous."
Minister Sirsa also outlined several other measures undertaken by the government to combat air pollution. These include:
- Electrification of the public bus fleet, with 3,427 electric buses already inducted and a target of 7,500 by December 2026.
- Action against polluting commercial and industrial units.
- Crackdown on polluting diesel generator sets.
- Ongoing biomining of legacy waste sites.
The minister urged citizens not to argue with enforcement officials at fuel stations and borders if found non-compliant with the new rules. A coordination meeting between Delhi Police and the transport department is underway to ensure effective implementation of these directives.
