No petrol without pollution certificate, curbs on entry of non-BS6 vehicles to be permanent in Delhi

Delhi Pollution: Amid the deteriorating air quality in the national capital and adjoining National Capital Region (NCR), Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Saturday made two restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-4 permanent. He said that vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) will not be able to refuel petrol at the petrol pumps until further orders.

“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,” he said.

Sirsa said vehicles entering the capital city from other states will also face restrictions if they don’t meet Bharat Stage VI (BS6) emission standards.

“Vehicles from outside Delhi that are below Bharat Stage VI (BS6) will also face restrictions on entering Delhi,” Sirsa added.

“The possibility of bad weather is being indicated. Due to the Western Disturbance again, the weather may remain bad. Therefore, we are monitoring the situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, the overall air quality of Delhi has slipped back to ‘Very Poor’ category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 390 at 6 pm today, CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) reported.

Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked Stage III measures under the Graded Response Action Plan, including restrictions on construction and industrial activities.

Earlier, the Delhi Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, approved several decisions to curb the pollution levels.

Additionally, the Cabinet approved Rs. 100 crore for the rejuvenation of water bodies under the Delhi government.

Notably, There are 1,000 water bodies in Delhi, out of which 160 fall under the Delhi government’s jurisdiction.

(wiht ANI inputs)