Delhi Enforces Vehicle Ban and PUC Checks in Pollution Crackdown

Delhi authorities intensified their fight against severe air pollution on Thursday by enforcing a ban on non-BSVI compliant private vehicles from outside the city and launching the No PUC, No Fuel campaign, which prohibits fuel sales to vehicles lacking valid Pollution Under Control certificates.

The measures, part of the Graded Response Action Plan stage IV, targeted vehicular emissions as a primary pollution source. Joint teams from the Delhi Traffic Police, Transport Department, and other agencies checked thousands of vehicles at border entry points, toll plazas, and fuel stations. Officials reported issuing 11,776 challans against polluting and noncompliant vehicles over a 24-hour period starting around 7 p.m. the previous evening. This included 3,746 fines specifically for missing PUC certificates, with fines set at 20,000 rupees for violations like entering with older BSVI or pre-BSVI vehicles. An additional 568 noncompliant vehicles were denied entry at borders, and 542 nondestined trucks were diverted via peripheral expressways to reduce urban traffic.

Enforcement began early in the day at key locations such as the Chilla border with Uttar Pradesh, Kalindi Kunj, and the...