Strict curbs for non-BS-VI vehicles from November 1 under Delhi winter pollution plan

Delhi and neighbouring NCR districts are coordinating enforcement against polluting vehicles as a part of winter pollution plan.

Delhi will impose stricter restrictions on vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission standards from November 1. Petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside the national capital that fall below the BS-VI standard will not be allowed to enter the city, while electric and CNG vehicles will be free from the restriction.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa reviewed winter pollution-control measures with traffic police officials from neighbouring NCR districts on Sunday. (Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times)

The moves are made to tackle winter air pollution. Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Sunday held a meeting with traffic police and other department officials from neighbouring NCR districts to review preparations and strengthen the enforcement of pollution-control measures.

Non-BS-VI vehicles to face entry restrictions

The restrictions will apply to petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards. Electric and CNG vehicles will be exempted.

The government is also preparing to tighten checks on vehicles that contribute to air pollution. Officials discussed enforcing Pollution Under Control (PUC) requirements, taking action against visibly polluting vehicles and implementing restrictions on overage petrol and diesel vehicles under applicable orders and regulations.

The meeting included officials from Delhi, Noida, Faridabad, Gurugram, Sonipat and Bahadurgarh. The participating agencies reviewed measures to coordinate enforcement across city borders and ensure that vehicles violating the applicable rules are identified.

What does BS-VI mean?

Bharat Stage, also known as BS, is a vehicle emission standard set by India to regulate air pollution from motor vehicles. These standards specify the permissible emission levels for pollutants, including carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC) and particulate matter (PM). India currently follows Bharat Stage VI standards, which was introduced nationwide in April 2020. These norms follow European emission standards and aim to phase out vehicles that release higher levels of harmful pollutants.

Trucks and buses under stricter checks

The authorities will also enforce directions requiring trucks that are not bound for Delhi to use the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways. The measure is intended to reduce unnecessary heavy-vehicle movement through the city.

Restrictions on non-compliant vehicles, including overage petrol and diesel vehicles, will also be enforced under applicable court orders and regulations.

Buses operating in Delhi-NCR from cities and towns outside Delhi will have to meet prescribed fuel and emission standards. Under the applicable directions, only electric, CNG and BS-VI-compliant diesel buses will be permitted to operate in the region.

Officials also discussed deploying additional enforcement teams as restrictions under the Winter Action Plan and the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) are tightened.

Traffic management at NCR borders

Reducing congestion near Delhi's borders was a key focus of the meeting. Officials discussed coordinating traffic movement and deploying traffic personnel at busy locations to prevent long traffic jams.

Prolonged congestion can add to vehicular emissions, making traffic management an important part of the government's winter pollution-control efforts.

Delhi Traffic Police informed the meeting that more than 10,000 challans for traffic and pollution violations were being issued daily on average as part of the ongoing enforcement drive.

The government also plans to install display boards at border checkpoints to inform motorists and interstate transport operators about vehicle restrictions. Awareness campaigns promoting public transport will also form part of the wider effort.

Delhi steps up dust-control measures

Alongside action against polluting vehicles, the government will intensify measures to control road dust. These include mechanical road sweeping, water sprinkling, dust suppression and cleanliness drives across Delhi.

Sirsa said tackling air pollution required coordinated efforts by Delhi and neighbouring NCR districts. He stressed the importance of smoother traffic movement, stricter checks on non-compliant vehicles and cleaner public transport under chief minister Rekha Gupta's leadership.

The enforcement push comes as Delhi-NCR faces concerns over both air and water pollution. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recently reached 168, with PM2.5 and PM10 identified as the dominant pollutants. Readings varied across monitoring stations, with some recording levels around 110 and others reporting figures between 118 and above 180.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage 1 of GRAP across Delhi-NCR on October 21 in response to the deterioration in air quality.

(With inputs from PTI/ANI)