Delhi has been grappling with toxic air quality as pollution levels have repeatedly entered the ‘severe’ category this winter. With the Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently breaching the 400-mark, officials have moved to enforce the highest level of curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-IV) to combat the public health emergency.
Two rules under the GRAP-4 have now been made permanent to tackle ‘severe’ air pollution in Delhi, environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said.
Announcing the decision, Sirsa said petrol will not be given to vehicles that do not have a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) until further orders. PTI reported that the Delhi government had already notified this step earlier this week after a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta, making it mandatory for vehicle owners to carry a valid PUCC.
“From now on, it has been decided that out of the restrictions under GRAP-4, we have made two restrictions permanent. The first one is PUCC. You will not get petrol anywhere without a PUCC certificate until next orders,” Sirsa said on Friday.
Strict entry norms for outside vehicles
The second GRAP-4 rule that will continue indefinitely is the restriction on vehicles entering Delhi from outside the city if they do not meet Bharat Stage VI (BS6) emission norms. “Vehicles from outside Delhi that are below Bharat Stage VI (BS6) will also face restrictions on entering Delhi,” PTI quoted Sirsa as saying.
Officials said these two measures will remain in force regardless of current air quality levels and are aimed at ensuring long-term compliance to reduce pollution from vehicles, according to an HT report.
Sirsa has earlier pointed out that vehicle emissions are among the biggest causes of air pollution in the Capital. “A vehicle running without a valid PUC certificate is no less than committing a crime against Delhi’s air,” he said.
Delhi AQI in ‘severe’ category, check area-wise pollution levels
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘severe’ category across most monitoring stations on Sunday morning, with AQI values crossing the 400 mark in several parts of the national capital, indicating hazardous pollution levels and a serious health risk for residents, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Data from multiple agencies showed that Anand Vihar and Shadipur recorded the worst air quality, both registering an AQI of 445, placing them firmly in the severe zone. Other pollution hotspots included Wazirpur (435), Nehru Nagar (433), Jahangirpuri (432), Narela (431), Ashok Vihar and Vivek Vihar (427 each), Patparganj and Rohini (425 each), and Okhla Phase-2 and Bawana (423 each).
Some relief was seen at a few locations, though air quality still remained far from safe. IGI Airport (T3) recorded an AQI of 320, Najafgarh stood at 322, IIT Delhi reported 339, and Aya Nagar recorded 344, all falling in the ‘very poor’ category.