Delhi will begin a special drive to check the validity of Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates from October 1, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Saturday while inaugurating an automated vehicle testing station in Burari. The campaign is intended to strengthen pollution-control enforcement in the national capital ahead of the period when air pollution typically rises during winter.
The Burari facility has an annual capacity to conduct fitness testing for 90,000 vehicles, according to the report. The automated testing station will use technology to examine vehicle fitness and pollution levels, with a particular focus on commercial vehicles covered by pollution-control rules.
At the inauguration, Gupta said the government wanted every person living in Delhi to have access to clean air. She said the upcoming campaign would examine whether PUC certificates issued to vehicles were valid. The Chief Minister described the initiative as another step in the government’s efforts to reduce pollution in the capital.
The campaign will also involve scrutiny of PUC certificates issued by pollution-testing centres. Gupta said cameras were being installed at all centres that issue PUC certificates. The measure is intended to create greater oversight of the certification process as the government expands enforcement.
The Burari station is the second automated testing facility inaugurated in Delhi this month. Gupta had opened another facility at the Delhi Transport Corporation’s Tehkhand depot on September 3. The Burari inauguration followed 23 days later, according to the report.
The government has previously said that Delhi lacked enough advanced facilities for the fitness testing of commercial vehicles. As a result, vehicle owners had to travel to other parts of the National Capital Region for testing. The new stations are expected to allow more vehicle owners to complete the process within Delhi.
The expansion of automated testing capacity comes as the capital prepares for its recurring winter pollution challenge. The administration’s stated approach combines checks on vehicle emissions, verification of PUC certificates and increased monitoring of centres authorised to issue those certificates. The report did not specify the number of vehicles or centres that will be covered during the campaign, or the penalties that will apply to vehicles found without valid certificates.
The Delhi government is scheduled to begin the PUC enforcement drive on October 1. Further operational details, including the locations and scale of checks, were not provided in the announcement.
