Delhi Enforces No Entry For Old Cars, No Fuel Without Pollution Certificate From Today

If you’re planning a drive into Delhi, it’s time to pause and check your vehicle details. From Thursday, the national capital has rolled out stricter anti-pollution measures, allowing only BS-VI compliant vehicles to enter the city. In addition, fuel stations will no longer serve vehicles that do not have a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate.

Lakhs Of Vehicles Likely To Be Affected

The decision could impact nearly 12 lakh vehicles that enter Delhi daily from nearby cities such as Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad. According to available data, over four lakh vehicles from Noida, around two lakh from Gurugram and nearly 5.5 lakh from Ghaziabad may now be barred from entering the Capital if they fail to meet the new emission norms.

Fuel Denied Without Valid PUC

To ensure strict enforcement, Delhi has installed automatic number plate recognition cameras at petrol pumps across the city. These systems can instantly identify vehicles without a valid PUC certificate, leading to immediate denial of fuel. The measures were announced by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and will remain in effect as long as Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is enforced.

Why The Crackdown Is Necessary

Delhi’s move comes amid its annual winter pollution crisis. As temperatures drop, pollutants get trapped close to the ground, causing air quality to deteriorate sharply. In high-traffic areas, vehicles contribute nearly 40 per cent of particulate pollution. Officials say restricting high-emission vehicles during severe pollution episodes is crucial to protecting public health.

Heavy On-Ground Enforcement Planned

To implement the rules, around 580 police personnel will conduct vehicle checks, supported by 37 enforcement vans stationed at 126 checkpoints. Teams from the Transport Department, Municipal Corporation and Food Department will also be deployed at petrol pumps to monitor compliance.

Smog Highlights Urgency

The need for urgent action was evident on Thursday morning as thick smog covered several parts of Delhi. Areas like Najafgarh witnessed poor visibility, while data from the CPCB’s Sameer app showed an AQI of 356 at 6 am, placing the city in the ‘very poor’ category.