Page 10 - Delhi Pollution

Delhi kicks off ban on fuel sale to old vehicles amid high security

The ban on supply of fuel to old vehicles kicked off in Delhi on Tuesday amid high security. The Delhi government has installed Automatic Number Plate reader cameras (ANPR) at nearly 350 petrol pumps across the national capital for detection of such vehicles. The transport department has chalked out a detailed deployment plan involving personnel from its organisation, Delhi Police, Traffic Police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Multiple teams of transport department, traffic police and local police have been deployed at different petrol pumps in South Delhi. The drive began from 6 am on Tuesday, enforcing the prohibition of fuel sale to petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years. At Chirag Delhi's Dhingra petrol pump, the Transport Enforcement and Delhi Traffic Police teams were seen stationed since early morning. "We are here from 6 am to ensure that no old vehicle is allowed to refuel. Petrol pumps have been directed to deny fuel t

Smog, Yamuna pollution biggest environment issues in Delhi: SC judge

Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Karol on Thursday said smog and Yamuna River pollution were the biggest environmental issues in the national capital. The judge was speaking at the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) Climate Change Conference and Awards 2025 when he emphasised on environmental protection. Each citizen, he said, was responsible to protect the environment and the onus wasn't just on the judiciary, the executive and the legislature. "We have to make sure that the environment, be it in any form, has to be protected. I would also say this, that over the years we have developed certain principles, and the public trust doctrine is one such doctrine which we must always keep in mind," Justice Karol said. He continued, "But I would say this, if you were to see our report card in the last 75 years, or since the 1980s, what have we done? Have we done enough to protect the environment? My view is that a lot needs to be done, at all levels. And I would borrow an expression, th

CAQM mandates only CNG, electric vehicles for e-commerce fleets in NCR

From January 2026, no petrol or diesel vehicles can be added to aggregator fleets in NCR, with CAQM pushing for faster transition to clean mobility options

Only clean fuel buses allowed in Delhi from November 2026, says CAQM

CAQM's announcement comes a day after CM Rekha Gupta unveiled Delhi's 25-point Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025, which includes electric buses, e-autos, and ANPR cameras

'Only BS6, CNG or EV commercial vehicles allowed in Delhi from Nov 1'

CM Rekha Gupta said that the national capital would witness its first artificial rain 'very soon' with the help of cloud seeding techniques

Delhi 'feels like' temperature soars past 50°C, evening rain eases humidity

The city baked under the intense summer heat as the heat index hit 50.2°C; humidity and poor air quality worsen conditions

Delhi cabinet clears sanitation, dust plan to cut road pollution: CM

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday said the cabinet has approved a comprehensive sanitation and dust control plan for the Public Works Department (PWD). Under this plan, the cabinet has approved the procurement of advanced cleaning machines to reduce pollution on Delhi roads. In a statement, she said under this initiative, a range of equipment will be deployed on PWD-maintained roads to combat dust pollution. They include 250 water sprinkler machines integrated with anti-smog guns and 70 Mechanical Road Sweeping (MRS) machines integrated with 210 water sprinkler machines and anti-smog guns, 18 dump vehicles and 18 water tankers. All these machines are expected to be fully operational on Delhi roads before the onset of winter. The Environment Department will provide the necessary budget to the PWD under the 'Pollution Control and Emergency Measures' scheme for the deployment of the machines, she said. These machines will be used exclusively for dust cleaning on roads and c

AAP-BJP spar over worsening air quality after dust storm batters Delhi

A sudden dust storm from Rajasthan engulfed Delhi, pushing air quality into the 'poor' zone and igniting a sharp political blame game between AAP and BJP

Delhi gets 400 new electric buses; CM calls it a step towards cleaner air

Apart from reducing pollution levels in the city, Delhi's Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2.0 is also expected to create up to 20,000 jobs

Delhi may curb gasoline car sales, ban gas-guzzling bikes to cut pollution

The measures represent one of the most drastic steps the city has lined up to tackle pollution

Nitin Gadkari warns Delhi's toxic air can cause infections in 3 days

In Gadkari's view, road infrastructure and alternative fuels are central to solving India's pollution crisis, as Delhi's air continues to pose serious health risks

Draft EV Policy 2.0 seeks ban on petrol, diesel & CNG 2Ws from Aug 2026

The Draft EV Policy 2.0 recommends Delhi could stop new CNG auto permits from Aug 15, 2025. If a private car owner already has two vehicles, any further purchase must be an electric vehicle

Govt may conduct artificial rain trial in May to fight pollution: Delhi min

The Delhi government is likely to conduct a trial for artificial rain in May as part of its efforts to tackle air pollution, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Thursday. The trial will be carried out in an area in outer Delhi, with the final site selection to be made by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and IIT Kanpur, he said. Sirsa said the plan is part of a broader strategy to tackle pollution using multiple methods. This is a war against pollution and we are working on various measures, with artificial rain being one of them. Before implementing it on a large scale, we will try to conduct a trial in May when summer is at its peak, he added. He further said, We have asked for detailed reports to determine whether the chemicals used in cloud seeding could have any harmful effects on human health or the environment." Based on the findings, we will conduct a small-scale test and analyze water samples. If the trial is successful, we will expand the ..

Delhi govt tightens pollution control measures; announces EV push

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced in the assembly on Wednesday that the Delhi government will introduce a new policy for issuing Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates to vehicles from other states, in a bid to tackle air pollution. The move comes in response to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report titled 'Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi', which flagged lapses in the national capital's pollution control mechanisms. Gupta also announced a significant expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Delhi, stating that by 2026, the city will have 48,000 charging points18,000 government-operated and 30,000 semi-private. Additionally, six new air quality monitoring centres will be set up to improve pollution tracking and enforcement. The chief minister further revealed plans to establish a new eco-park dedicated to processing electronic waste, aiming to curb air pollution caused by improper disposal of e-waste. "These steps are crucial in strengthening

CAG report highlights lapses in Delhi's pollution control measures

Delhi's worsening air pollution has been exacerbated by lapses in its pollution control mechanisms, including irregularities in the issuance of PUC certificates, unreliable air quality monitoring systems, and poor enforcement of pollution control measures, according to a CAG report tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday. The report on 'Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi', tabled by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, highlighted major policy gaps and weak enforcement and poor coordination among agencies as key reasons behind the worsening pollution scenario in the national capital. More than 1.08 lakh vehicles were issued pollution under control (PUC) certificates despite them emitting carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) beyond permissible limits, the reports said. In many cases, multiple vehicles were issued certificates at the same time, sometimes within a minute of each other, it said. Between 2015 and 2020, nearly 4,000 diesel vehicles that exceeded pollution limits were still certifie

New EV policy: Delhi may ban petrol two-wheeler registrations from 2026

If approved, only electric scooters and motorcycles will be available for new buyers in Delhi after the deadline

Delhi to install six new air quality monitoring stations for winter: Sirsa

As part of a broader strategy to tackle the expected winter pollution peak, the Delhi government will install six new air quality monitoring stations across the national capital over the next three months, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said. In an interview with PTI on Wednesday, Sirsa said, "This winter, we will ensure that Delhi sees more clean air days, and we are already working to minimize pollution. We will not wait until winter to take action. Our work to purify Delhi has already started, and as part of this, we will also add new ambient air quality monitoring stations." "Delhi currently has 40 air quality monitoring stations, and six more will be added in the next three months, bringing the total to 46," Sirsa said. The minister did not specify the locations where the new stations will be installed but mentioned that the work is likely to be completed within three months. He added that these stations will help gather more detailed data on air quality. Delhi's .

Delhi recorded the worst air quality in India during winter 2024-25: Report

With an average PM2.5 value of 159 μg/m³ during the winter of 2024-2025, Delhi was the most polluted city in India. According to the analysis, Aizawl in Mizoram was the cleanest city

DPCC plans expansion of state labs to facilitate real-time water testing

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has proposed granting 'state' laboratory status to all labs in government colleges and those under the Delhi Jal Board to facilitate real-time water testing across the national capital, officials said on Monday. The proposal was made during the 74th board meeting of the DPCC on February 13, 2025, at the Delhi Secretariat, where critical issues such as recruitment, pollution control measures, and infrastructure improvements were discussed, they said. Currently, Delhi has only one state laboratory for water testing. The proposed move aims to bolster large-scale water quality monitoring and enhance data accuracy, they added. The DPCC is also set to issue a public notice to gauge the willingness of government institutions to participate in the initiative. "In the last meeting held in September 2024, it was directed that more labs, including Delhi Jal Board facilities and those in government colleges, be recognized as state labs to support ..

Delhi's air quality remains in 'moderate' category, Grap-I curbs lifted

Air quality has improved across Delhi-NCR due to rainfall over the past few days