New Delhi, Dec 18: A thick blanket of toxic smog enveloped the Delhi–Noida border on Thursday morning, sharply reducing visibility as air quality plunged into the ‘hazardous’ category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) touching around 490 at the Chilla border, officials said.
In response to the worsening pollution levels, authorities intensified enforcement under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), stepping up checks on vehicles entering the national capital from neighbouring states.
Under the stricter norms, non-BS6 vehicles registered outside Delhi are being fined ₹20,000 or forced to make a U-turn at the city’s borders. The action applies to both commercial and private vehicles, officials said.
Delhi Police and transport department teams have been deployed at key entry points, including Kalindi Kunj, Chilla, Ghazipur and the DND Flyway, where barricades have been erected to check vehicle registrations, emission standards and Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC).
“We are strictly checking non-BS6 commercial and private vehicles registered outside Delhi. Violators face a ₹20,000 challan or are forced to make a U-turn,” said Deepak, a Delhi Transport Department officer overseeing the operation. He added that drivers without valid PUCCs are also being penalised.
The crackdown has also extended to older vehicles, with diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old being targeted, particularly those meeting BS3 or lower emission standards. The enforcement follows a recent Supreme Court clarification, which revised its earlier August 12 order related to action against such vehicles in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Officials said the revised interpretation is expected to impact a large number of vehicles registered in neighbouring cities, including around 2 lakh vehicles in Gurugram, 4 lakh in Noida and approximately 5.5 lakh in Ghaziabad.
Beyond border checks, enforcement teams have also begun denying fuel at petrol pumps across Delhi to vehicles that do not possess a valid PUCC, adding another layer of compliance monitoring within the city.
Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister announced that only BS6-compliant vehicles registered outside Delhi will be permitted to enter the capital during the period of heightened pollution controls.
