Delhi turns back around 18k non-compliant vehicles in 10 days of pollution curbs

Authorities checked 81,340 vehicles and issued 767 challans, while an HT spot check found enforcement teams missing at several border points.

Authorities stopped and checked 81,340 vehicles, and at least 18, 044 non-CNG and non-electric vehicles not registered in Delhi were turned back from the city’s borders during the first 10 days of the ban on entry for vehicles below BS-VI emission standards under the government’s winter action plan, according to official data.

Delhi's winter action plan requires the transport department, traffic police and MCD to enforce restrictions on non-Delhi-registered vehicles below BS-VI standards. (HT)

Starting November 1, the Delhi government implemented its winter action plan to curb air pollution, restricting entry of non-Delhi-registered vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission standards into the national capital. Joint enforcement teams from the Delhi traffic police, Delhi transport department and municipal corporation (MCD) were formed and deployed on the borders to stop and verify vehicles, and either return those that were non-compliant or issue them challans.

Joint teams deployed at borders to check vehicles and issue challans

Data on action taken between November 1 and 10 showed that a total of 767 such vehicles were issued challans for plying in Delhi despite not meeting the norms.

HT carried out a spot check at six borders — Kalindi Kunj, Chilla, Maharajpur, Seemapuri, Apsara, and Ghazipur — in northeast and south Delhi that connect to Uttar Pradesh between 2.30pm and 5 pm.

While traffic police personnel were present at three borders, namely the Kalindi Kunj, Chilla at New Ashok Nagar, and Maharajpur near Anand Vihar, MCD enforcement teams were not present at any of the six.

Furthermore, except for the Chilla border, no enforcement teams from the Delhi transport department were present at the other five borders that HT visited.

Transport official says border teams were functional during assigned shifts

In response, a senior transport department official said, “Enforcement teams deployed at Delhi’s border checkpoints were present and functional during their assigned shifts.” The official clarified that teams do not install permanent barricades or remain stationed at fixed points, but conduct mobile checks and intercept violating vehicles.

A senior traffic police officer, who asked not to be named, said, “I checked with the teams deployed at the mentioned border points. They said they were present.”

The MCD spokesperson said, “As far as MCD mandate, this is beyond our purview stopping vehicles from entering a city as part of a joint team cannot pertain to us.”

According to Delhi government’s winter action plan notification, Delhi transport department, MCD and Delhi Traffic Police have been directed to “ensure strict compliance with the direction” regarding entry restriction on vehicles registered outside Delhi and below BS-VI emission standards.

Around 2.45 pm, at the Seemapuri DLF border, nobody from the joint teams was found present. According to two toll tax collectors present at a booth, no enforcement teams from traffic, transport or MCD had been visited after the first few days. “You can even see old private vehicles not registered in Delhi and crossing the border without any checks,” said one employee.

Police barricades found at Apsara border, but enforcement teams absent

Around 3.30pm, at the Apsara border, police barricades had been placed near the roundabout but no enforcement teams were present. Two policemen at a police post said a two-member traffic police enforcement team had been conducting checks since morning but had recently left. A toll collection employee said he had not seen any enforcement team from the transport department or MCD since morning.

At the Maharajpur border around 4pm, two traffic police personnel were present but said they were not from the enforcement team and the members of that team had gone to clear traffic congestion on the carriageway towards Ghazipur. No MCD or transport department teams were found there.

Around 4.15pm, at the Ghazipur border, no teams from either of the three departments were present either on NH-24 or the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. A security guard and an employee of the toll collection company said they had seen one traffic policeman present on the expressway till 2pm, but did not see him thereafter. They said no teams from transport or MCD were deployed there.

At the Chilla and Kalindi Kunj borders, 5-6 traffic police personnel were seen verifying vehicles using their hand-held challan machines. “We return vehicles not meeting the norms and even issue challans against non-Delhi vehicles below BS-VI emission standards plying in our areas,” said a sub-inspector present at the Kalindi Kunj border.