The Delhi government has announced a winter action plan that will restrict the entry of non-BS-VI vehicles registered outside the capital, deny fuel to vehicles without valid Pollution Under Control certificates and impose curbs on construction-related activities from November 1 to February 28.
Reported by Times of India – Delhi, the plan is intended to address seasonal air pollution through controls on vehicle emissions, construction dust and road dust. It also includes measures to promote public transport, expand mechanised road sweeping and improve the tracking of pollution sources.
Under the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ policy, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control certificate will not be allowed to purchase petrol, diesel, CNG or LPG at fuel stations. The government has also said that vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards will not be permitted to enter the capital during the winter action period.
The plan includes restrictions on construction and demolition work, along with controls on the transportation of construction materials. Construction sites will be monitored through artificial intelligence-enabled cameras connected to the government’s control and command centre. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has issued show-cause notices to agencies where violations were identified during inspections, according to the report.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Urban Development Secretary Vivek Pandey conducted a joint inspection of pollution hotspots and construction sites in South Zone areas on October 11. The inspection assessed pollution levels around identified hotspots and reviewed steps being taken by government agencies to control emissions and dust ahead of winter.
The government has also emphasised work-from-home arrangements covering 50% of employees, along with greater use of electric buses, Metro services and last-mile connectivity. The measures place transport operations and construction compliance at the centre of Delhi’s winter pollution response, while also requiring coordination between civic agencies, pollution regulators, fuel stations, construction operators and commuters.
Separately, the Delhi Cabinet approved the expansion of mechanised road sweeping across about 609 km of roads with a right of way of less than 10 metres. The initiative covers 854 roads across 250 wards, according to the Cabinet. The expansion targets road dust in areas that currently do not have mechanised sweeping facilities.
The Cabinet also approved a five-year collaboration with IIT Delhi to track and analyse sources of PM2.5 and PM10 pollution. The system will examine contributors including vehicle emissions, road dust and biomass burning, and assess their contribution at different times of the day.
The winter action plan will take effect on November 1 and remain in force until February 28. Its implementation will depend on inspections, enforcement at fuel stations and construction sites, road-cleaning operations and coordination among the agencies responsible for transport, municipal services and pollution control.
