Delhi cracks down on erring vehicles to curb pollution

Delhi authorities intensified pollution enforcement, impounding 28 buses and penalizing 2,500 vehicles for PUC violations under the Graded Response Action Plan.

New Delhi

Checks at the Delhi-Ghaziabad border over the past week. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

Twenty-eight goods-carrier buses were impounded, over 2,500 vehicles were penalised for violating pollution-under-control (PUC) certificate norms and 28 PUC centres were suspended between Thursday and Friday, as Delhi agencies tightened the enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) to curb pollution.

Besides, 100 buses have been impounded this month for pollution-related violations, officials said.

Transport minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said senior officials have been directed to personally inspect PUC centres across Delhi to ensure that vehicle owners do not face inconvenience while obtaining certificates. “We are enforcing pollution norms firmly while ensuring that vehicle owners face no difficulty at PUC centres. Any irregularity at these centres will be dealt with strictly,” Singh said.

According to official data, Delhi traffic police issued 2,390 challans for PUC certificate-related violations, while the transport department’s enforcement wing issued 285 challans. Another 1,114 challans were generated through automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. In addition, 11 vehicles were penalised by the transport department for Grap violations and 170 Grap-related challans were issued by the traffic police. Officials said that 238 vehicles were allowed to resume operations after complying with the required norms.

The transport department also stepped up action against erring PUC centres. Officials said that 28 PUC centres have been placed under suspension so far, while the licences of two centres have been cancelled. Proceedings have also been initiated against two more centres. In one case of alleged malpractice, a police complaint has been lodged at Gokulpuri police station against a PUC centre accused of issuing forged certificates, officials said.

They said that the department has written to the transport commissioners of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, urging them to take strict action against out-of-state vehicles found operating with forged or invalid PUC papers.

Intensive enforcement drives were also conducted at major congestion and entry points, including Kashmere Gate, Geeta Colony and Mori Gate, with a focus on goods vehicles and high-emission offenders. The transport department said the drives were carried out in coordination with the traffic police.

Officials reiterated that vehicle checks, enforcement drives and monitoring of Grap norms will continue to curb vehicular pollution and ensure compliance with emission standards across the Capital.