'No PUC, No Fuel' rule to be implemented in Delhi today amid worsening AQI

Delhi government's series of strict measures to deal with the air pollution crisis comes into effect today, as the city continues to grapple with severe air quality

Restrictions on the entry of non-Delhi private vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission norms, along with the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule, came into effect in the national capital on Thursday as authorities tightened curbs to address deteriorating air quality.

 

The fresh measures will be in addition to the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) Stage-IV restrictions, announced by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), after the air quality index (AQI) was recorded in the 'severe' category for three consecutive days since December 13.

 

Here's a list of measures introduced by the Delhi government that will be implemented today:

 

1. Vehicles that do not have BS-VI engines will not be allowed to enter Delhi. The move is expected to hit 1.2 million vehicles entering Delhi from the neighbouring areas like Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Noida.

 

2. Petrol pumps will refuse fuel to vehicles without valid pollution-under-control (PUC) certificates, with enforcement supported by automatic number plate reader cameras, audio alerts at fuel stations and police assistance.

 

3. Under Grap Stage IV restrictions, vehicles carrying construction material have also been barred from entering the city. "Trucks carrying construction materials into Delhi have also been banned... I appeal to people coming from outside Delhi to bring vehicles that comply with Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission standards," Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told ANI.

 

4. Delhi's Labour Minister Kapil Mishra announced that all private and government offices must switch to work from home starting Thursday, or they might face action. Under the order, private offices operating in the National Capital Territory of Delhi have been directed to ensure that no more than half their staff report to the workplace, with the remaining employees required to work from home. The work-from-home requirement, however, does not apply to emergency and frontline staff, including hospital workers, personnel deployed for anti-pollution measures, fire services and other essential services.

 

5. Physical classes for primary schools have been suspended, while secondary and higher secondary students have been given the option of attending classes online or in person.

 

Delhi AQI today

 

Delhi woke up to a dense layer of smog, with visibility dropping and residents reporting discomfort. Air quality across the capital stayed in the ‘very poor’ category, with some areas nearing ‘severe’.

 

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed Anand Vihar logging an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 416 at 8 am, placing it in the ‘severe’ bracket. The city’s average AQI was 358, categorised as ‘very poor’. Most monitoring stations recorded readings in the 300–400 range, while only five crossed 400.