No fuel without Pollution Under Control Certificate from October 25th in Delhi

Every year, with the onset of winter, Delhi-NCR residents experience the worst pollution of the year. This time around, the Delhi government is taking steps trying to curb the pollution in the city. According to a new rule, no petrol bunks will fill petrol or diesel in the vehicle without the “Pollution Under Control” Certificate (PUCC).

Delhi’s Environment minister Gopal Rai announced the new rule on Saturday. The minister said that the new law would be applicable from October 25. The government will also issue an official notification on the matter soon.

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The decision comes after a meeting of the officials from the environment, transport and traffic departments on September 29. The panel discussed how to implement the new rules and the modalities and it was decided to give a go-ahead with the plan from October 25, the minister said.

“Vehicular emission is one of the key contributors to rising pollution in Delhi. It is imperative to reduce it so it has been decided that from October 25 petrol, diesel will not be provided at petrol pumps without PUC certificate of the vehicle,”

The minister further added that the Delhi government will launch a 24X7 war room on October 3 to combat pollution. The new panel will ensure effective and serious implementation of the amended Graded Response Action Plan or GRAP. From October 6, authorities will also do a surprise inspection of construction sites to see the level of dust pollution.

Earlier this year, the minister said that the government is working on a similar plan. However, no such plan was enforced. It seems like the draft rules are ready and soon we will get the guidelines.

Motor vehicles targetted

Delhi Government has gone strict on motorists in recent times and has already introduced a few measures to make sure the pollution levels don’t go up any further in the NCR. It is to be noted that the re-registration of 15-year-old petrol-powered vehicles and 10-year-old diesel-powered vehicles has stopped in New Delhi, which is perceived to be a bigger source of air pollution from automobiles.

Since October 2020, the Delhi Government has also gone strict over compliance with the norm of carrying PUC. The government has already deployed 500 teams across various petrol pumps to make sure this drive yields positive results and creates general awareness among the public.

In recent years, entire North India has been suffering from seriously high air pollution levels, with the NCR leading the chart. The pollutant levels in the air of New Delhi are dangerously high, particularly in winters when the visibility is alarmingly low. In addition to introducing strict policies for motorists, Delhi Government is also working on introducing new technology-based measures. These will be introduced to ensure that people follow the rules seriously, and there is no inconvenience happening to anyone either from the government or to the citizens.

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