Stringent curbs for Delhi as pollution season approaches; No fuel for vehicles without valid PUCC from October 1

Aimed at tackling winter pollution, measures include public transport boosts and stricter vehicle entry rules.

The Delhi government on Monday announced a phased ban on construction and demolition, 50% work from home, double parking charges and restrictions on the entry of older petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside the city in an effort to dispel the toxic blanket of smog that chokes the Capital every winter.

Air quality in Delhi-NCR starts worsening from mid-September, with stubble burning the usual precursor to winter pollution and subsequent fireworks during the festive season. (Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

The measures are part of the government’s Winter Action Plan 2026-27, which chief minister Rekha Gupta described as a “prevention-focused and time-bound” strategy based on a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. The government said public participation would be a key pillar of the campaign.

However, experts expressed reservations about the efficacy of several measures without stronger and sustained action on major sources of pollution.

Air quality in Delhi-NCR starts worsening from mid-September, with stubble burning the usual precursor to winter pollution and subsequent fireworks during the festive season, especially around Diwali, worsening the situation despite curbs which are violated every year. CAQM’s expert assessment has identified PM2.5 as the dominant pollutant affecting the Capital’s air quality, with secondary particulates formed from emissions from transport, industries, power plants and biomass burning among the major contributors during winter.

The most stringent restrictions will come into effect during the peak winter period. From November 1 to January 31, all dust-generating demolition activities and outdoor civil construction works will be prohibited. A complete ban on all construction and demolition activities will then be imposed from December 10 to January 20.

The government will also mandate 50% work from home for employees in government and private offices starting November 1, or two days of work from home every week. Municipal corporation offices will operate from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., while Delhi government offices will function from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Parking charges at authorised parking sites will be doubled, barring Metro parking facilities, to discourage the use of private vehicles.

Measure being taken to curb pollution.

The government will begin a “No PUCC, No Fuel” awareness and enforcement campaign at 500 petrol pumps equipped with automatic number plate recognition systems from October 1. Vehicles without valid pollution-under-control certificates and those that have completed their prescribed lifespan will not be provided fuel. The rule was first rolled out on October 25 last year. However, enforcement of the directive remained patchy and was limited to select areas and short drives.

From November 1, all petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside Delhi and below the BS-VI emission standard will be barred from entering the city. CNG and electric vehicles will be exempted.

Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the government will publicise the restriction in advance. CNG vehicles will not fall under the separate BS-IV restriction, he said. The Delhi government did not specify when the restriction will end.

The plan also seeks to increase the use of public transport. Delhi currently has 6,840 buses, including 5,088 electric buses. The government has set a target of increasing daily Metro ridership to 7.2 million and DTC bus ridership to 4.2 million. A campaign to promote the Delhi Metro Sarathi app for last-mile connectivity will be held from October 1 to 10.

A gazette notification issued earlier this year states that Delhi has around 8.24 million registered vehicles, with around 677 parking facilities. The notification also stated vehicles contribute about 19.7% of PM10 and 25.1% of PM2.5 in winters. “Further, vehicles contribute to about 18% of CH4 emissions, 92% of N2O emissions and 30% of CO2 emissions in the City, based on annual emissions..” the notification adds.

The government set a target of redeveloping 3,000 km of roads to control dust, with work on 1,193 km already completed. Concrete work was given an October 31 deadline and bitumen work was to be completed by November 15.

Deep cleaning, mechanised sweeping, water sprinkling, paving of road surfaces, improvement of footpaths, removal of garbage accumulation points and greening of vacant land are also being expedited.

“The plan is to carry out deep cleaning on roads every fortnight to ensure all soil and dust are removed... Our teams will consist of four people per vehicle, including representatives from the DPCC and MCD—and we are also tying up with the Delhi Police... Under the ‘Zero Burning’ initiative, we distributed heaters last time... This time, ‘heating spots’ will be created. Temporary shelters will be set up, equipped with heating arrangements. Arrangements will be made to ensure protection from the cold inside,” said Sirsa.

The government said 98 mechanical road-sweeping machines were deployed in two shifts and deep cleaning of all major roads would be completed by October 31. A “Zero Burning” campaign will be undertaken, while heating booths will be set up for security guards.

Dust is one of the biggest sources of pollution in Delhi, and can contribute to as much as 25% of the Capital’s bad air, according to a 2018 source apportionment study by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). The study also found that potholes, unpaved roads and broken footpaths, all of which cause road dust, were the largest source of such particles in the air.

Industrial pollution will also face intensified enforcement. The government said 2,283 polluting units were sealed or shut following a survey of 11,271 units. Of 434 acres of vacant land identified, 433 acres was made green, with a special audit planned in March 2027 to assess plant survival. Weekly inspections will be conducted at all 37 identified air-quality and traffic hotspots by MPs, MLAs, councillors and nodal officers. The government said work was underway to make 15 major road stretches signal-free and congestion-free by October, with eight already completed.

The development came during a meeting chaired by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav to review Delhi’s air pollution mitigation action plan. Chief minister Rekha Gupta and other Delhi ministers attended the meeting.

“The strategy with targeted action points would intensify action on vehicular emissions, road and construction dust, waste and biomass burning, industrial emissions, public transport, greening, and pollution and traffic hotspots,” said a Union environment ministry official.

Under the plan, public representatives would undertake regular field visits of Delhi’s traffic hotspots with officials, RWAs, traders, and traffic police.

So far, 42 hotspots have been rectified, with eight more targeted in October.

But experts were not convinced of the plan’s efficacy.

“Our entire pollution plan is governed by GRAP, but it cannot be the sole parameter of action taken against pollution. Emergency measures like bans on construction activities and work from home cannot be called policy measures. Tackling pollution requires a 365 day plan,” environmentalist Vimlendu Jha said

Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at Envirocatalysts, said the government’s announcement was a welcome step, but monitoring and implementation will decide whether these are successful. “Most of these measures have been announced earlier from time to time but there has been laxity in implementation and monitoring. How the government implements them will be the key,” he said.

The government maintained that the plan will rely not just on restrictions but also on public participation. Gupta appealed to residents to become “Clean-Air Partners” by using public transport, carpooling, opting for cleaner modes of transport, keeping PUCCs valid, preventing waste burning, controlling dust, segregating waste, protecting greenery and reporting pollution. “The biggest strength of this effort will be the participation of the people of Delhi,” the CM said, stressing that pollution control could not be treated as a one-day exercise.