Delhi’s winter pollution plan for 2026-27 will introduce stricter vehicle, construction and workplace restrictions from November 1, including a No PUC, No Fuel policy, curbs on older vehicles, partial work-from-home requirements and temporary bans on dust-generating activities.
The 10-point plan, announced by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday, will remain in force until February 28. Its implementation will involve the Centre, Delhi government, Commission for Air Quality Management, Central Pollution Control Board, local bodies, Delhi Police, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and other agencies.
Under the fuel policy, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate and those that have exceeded their prescribed lifespan will not be allowed to refuel at 500 petrol pumps equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems. The restriction will begin on November 1.
The government will also bar petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards from entering the city. CNG and electric vehicles will be exempt from this restriction.
Construction-related restrictions will be introduced in phases. Dust-generating demolition activities and outdoor civil construction work will be prohibited from November 1 to January 31. A wider ban covering all construction and demolition activities will apply from December 10 to January 20. Construction sites will be required to have complete CCTV coverage, while registration on the Malba App will be mandatory for building-plan approvals.
To reduce traffic and vehicle emissions, 50% of employees in government and private offices will be required to work from home, or work from home for two days each week, from November 1. Office timings will also be revised. Municipal corporation offices will operate from 8.30 am to 5 pm, while Delhi government offices will function from 10 am to 6.30 pm.
Parking charges at authorised parking facilities will be doubled, although Metro parking facilities will be excluded. The government has set a target of raising daily Delhi Metro ridership to 72 lakh and Delhi Transport Corporation bus ridership to 42 lakh. Delhi currently has 6,840 buses, including 5,088 electric buses.
A campaign to promote the Delhi Metro Sarathi App for last-mile connectivity is scheduled from October 1 to 10. The plan also includes AI-enabled monitoring systems, weekly inspections at 37 identified air-quality and traffic hotspots, and efforts to make 15 major road stretches signal-free and congestion-free. Eight of those stretches have reportedly been completed.
Road and dust-control measures include mechanised sweeping, water sprinkling, deep cleaning, footpath improvement, road paving and removal of garbage accumulation points. The government said 98 mechanical road-sweeping machines have been deployed in two shifts, while deep cleaning of all major roads is scheduled to be completed by October 31.
The government has set a target of redeveloping 3,000 km of roads to control dust pollution. Work on 1,193 km has been completed. Concrete roadwork is scheduled for completion by October 31 and bitumen work by November 15.
The plan also includes a Zero Burning campaign to prevent the open burning of waste and biomass, along with heating booths for security guards during winter. On industrial pollution, the government said 2,283 polluting units had been sealed or shut down after a survey of 11,271 units. Industries violating pollution-control norms, including those operating in non-conforming areas, will face enforcement action.
Financial incentives under the Parivartan Yojana and EV Policy 2026 will be offered to encourage the scrapping of old vehicles and the adoption of electric vehicles. The government said 334 enforcement teams were working in two shifts around the clock, including 256 teams from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment Board, and 78 teams from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
