Non-BS 6 private vehicles from outside Delhi barred from entry from Thursday; fuel curbs announced

New Delhi, Dec 17: The Delhi government on Tuesday announced a ban on the entry of non-BS VI private vehicles registered outside the national capital from Thursday as part of stricter measures to curb air pollution, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said. Sirsa said any private vehicle from outside Delhi found violating the ban would be seized. He also announced that from Thursday, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC/PUCC) certificate will not be sold petrol or diesel at fuel pumps in the capital. Vehicle owners have been given a one-day window to comply with the PUC requirement, he said, adding that enforcement has already begun and challans are being issued for violations. Clarifying the scope of the order, the minister said the restriction applies only to privately owned vehicles coming from outside Delhi. Non-BS VI commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses have already been barred from entering the city under existing curbs. Under the new rules, only BS VI-compliant vehicles registered outside Delhi will be permitted to enter the capital, while Delhi residents with compliant vehicles and valid PUC certificates can continue to travel and refuel as usual. The announcement comes amid persistently poor air quality in the capital. After three consecutive days of ‘severe’ air, Delhi’s average air quality index (AQI) improved to ‘very poor’ at 354 on Tuesday, compared with 427, 461 and 431 recorded over the previous three days. The India Meteorological Department said strong winds helped disperse pollutants, leading to the marginal improvement. Sirsa said the strictest measures under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) have been in force in Delhi-NCR since Sunday. These include curbs on vehicle movement, suspension of physical classes in schools, work-from-home norms for offices and restrictions on outdoor activities. Citing concerns over vehicular emissions, the minister said a recent meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office noted that about 37 per cent of vehicles in the Delhi-NCR region comply only with older BS-I, BS-II and BS-III emission norms, making vehicular pollution one of the biggest contributors to toxic air in the region. Terming the task of improving air quality an uphill battle, Sirsa apologised to residents and said it was unrealistic to expect pollution to be eliminated within nine to 10 months. He blamed previous Aam Aadmi Party and Congress governments for the current situation. The minister said the government is taking additional steps to address pollution, including action at 13 identified hotspots, reducing the height of garbage mountains, reclaiming land and installing over 2,000 pollution-monitoring units. He also highlighted plans to deploy 7,500 electric buses in the capital to promote cleaner transport. Public frustration over the hazardous air was visible on Monday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where sections of the crowd chanted “AQI, AQI” during an event. Sirsa alleged that the AAP, after failing to control pollution during its tenure, is now attempting to divert attention by staging protests.