Page 8 - Delhi Pollution

Delhi govt to test emission retrofits in 30 end-of-life official vehicles

The Delhi government will soon conduct trials by fitting catalytic converter-based retrofit emission control devices in up to 30 government-owned BS-IV and older heavy vehicles, potentially offering a cheaper and cleaner alternative to scrapping. In a first-of-its-kind move aimed at cutting toxic emissions from older diesel vehicles, the Delhi government decided to conduct a pilot project following a presentation by a clean-tech firm at a meeting which was chaired by the Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on August 11. The company claimed its retrofit technology could reduce particulate matter and other harmful emissions by more than 70 per cent. The trial comes in the wake of the Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) directive banning the entry of non-BS-VI commercial goods vehicles into Delhi from November 1, with limited exemptions for essential services until October 31, 2026. Officials said while the order is crucial for reducing pollution, it poses challenges

SC grants interim relief to Delhi owners of end-of-life petrol, diesel cars

The apex court passed the order while hearing the Delhi government's plea seeking review of the ban on 10-year-old diesel vehicles and 15-year-old petrol vehicles in the national capital

Delhi govt urges Supreme Court to review 2018 order banning older vehicles

Citing stricter emissions norms and cleaner fuels, the Delhi government says the 2018 vehicle ban lacks a scientific basis and causes unnecessary hardship

Low-pollution industries will get nod to operate in 20 days: DPCC

The statement highlights that Industries that will benefit include small factories, packing units, and service centres that cause minimal environmental harm and do not require pollution control system

Delhi declares war on air pollution with full-year ban on firecrackers

DPCC imposes year-round firecracker ban in Delhi; police halt online sales, warn of legal action; DRI seizes ₹35 crore worth of smuggled Chinese fireworks in crackdown

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