Delhi tightens pollution norms, bars non-BS-VI vehicles from Dec 18

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said vehicles without a valid PUC certificate would be denied fuel at petrol pumps in the national capital from Thursday

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday said that from Thursday, December 18, only BS-VI-compliant vehicles from outside the capital would be allowed to enter Delhi until further orders, as part of measures to curb air pollution.

 

Addressing a press conference, Sirsa said, “Only BS-VI-compliant vehicles from outside Delhi will be permitted to enter the city from Thursday.”

 

He further said that vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate would be denied fuel at petrol pumps in the national capital from the same date.

 

Vehicle owners, he said, had been given one day to ensure compliance with PUC norms.

 

 

He added that automated cameras installed at fuel stations would identify non-compliant vehicles, ensuring enforcement without confrontation or disruption.

 

“From Thursday, such vehicles will be denied fuel automatically. Penalties have already been imposed on more than eight lakh vehicle owners who do not have valid PUC certificates,” the minister said.

 

‘Pollution better under current government’: Sirsa

 

Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party, Sirsa alleged that the previous government failed to control pollution during its ten-year tenure and was now protesting over an issue it had allowed to worsen.

 

He said Delhi’s air quality remained better for nearly eight months in 2025 compared to the same period last year. While acknowledging a recent spike in pollution levels, Sirsa claimed the situation was still better due to sustained measures taken by the current government over the past ten months.

 

Steps taken over last 10 months

 

Giving an account of government initiatives taken so far, Sirsa said work was underway on a daily basis to tackle pollution.

 

He said the height of Delhi’s garbage mountains had been reduced by 15 metres, and of the 202 acres affected by legacy waste, 45 acres had been cleared and reclaimed, with plantation drives initiated on the recovered land.

 

The minister said the Delhi Pollution Control Committee had installed more than 2,000 pollution-monitoring units and collected fines amounting to Rs 9.21 crore. Enforcement actions were also being carried out by other departments, he added.

 

Sirsa said biomethanation plants contributed to pollution and that the government had provided 10,000 heaters to reduce emissions and ensure cleaner operations. He also said that while 13 pollution hotspots were identified in 2018, the current government had mapped 62 such locations and initiated corrective action.

 

“The AQI levels at these hotspots were lower this year than in the past decade, barring the Covid period, which is a significant achievement,” he said.

 

Sirsa said Delhi currently operates 3,400 electric buses and that plans were in place to increase the fleet to 7,500 buses to cut vehicular emissions.

 

“A scientific committee has been constituted to recommend pollution-control measures, while the Commission for Air Quality Management has also set up a separate panel,” Sirsa said.

 

The minister said vehicles carrying construction material would be banned and strict penalties imposed on violators, including sealing of offending vehicles.

 

Delhi air quality remains ‘very poor’

 

Delhi’s air quality showed some improvement on Tuesday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 377, compared to 498 a day earlier, though smog continued to blanket the city.

 

According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, air quality at 9 am remained in the ‘very poor’ category. Over the past two days, AQI levels crossed 400 at several locations, placing them in the ‘severe’ range.

 

On Tuesday, 11 of the city’s 40 monitoring stations recorded ‘severe’ air quality. Jahangirpuri, Mundka and Wazirpur registered the highest AQI readings at 426, data from the CPCB’s Sameer app showed.

 

Dense smog and fog reduced visibility across several parts of the city during the early morning hours. The minimum temperature was recorded at 8.3 degrees Celsius, slightly below normal, while the maximum temperature was expected to range between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius.