Nearly 2,000 pollution challans issued over BS-III, BS-IV vehicle curbs

The traffic police officials are also checking random vehicles for PUC violation and uncovered vehicles which cause pollution

Noida: The Noida traffic police has issued nearly 2,000 challans for pollution in Gautam Budh Nagar district after Delhi barred entry of vehicles below Bharat Stage (BS)-VI emission standards from Friday to curb pollution amid rising Air Quality Index, said officials on Monday.

Noida has nearly a million registered vehicles, including 137,277 BS- III vehicles — 96,210 petrol and 41,067 diesel — and 282,906 BS IV vehicles, comprising 241,390 petrol and 41,516 diesel vehicles, all of which fall under the ban. (HT Photos)

Enforcement has been intensified at all three - Chilla, Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND), and Kalindi Kunj - borders of Delhi as well as other borders connected to Gautam Budh Nagar, the officials added.

According to the Noida traffic police data, a total of 1,978 pollution challans including 696 against BS IV, 476 BS III, 573 for violation of pollution under control (PUC), 213 for uncovered - like transporting sand with cover - and 20 visible pollution were issued from December 19 to 21. Each challan costs ₹10,000, officials said.

“Enforcement has been increased at all three borders connecting the national capital and others like Jewar and Ghaziabad connecting to Gautam Budh Nagar district. Traffic police deployed across the district have also been directed to keep an eye on polluting vehicles and penalise them,” said Dr Pravin Ranjan Singh, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), adding that except BS VI complaint vehicles no other BS standard vehicle is allowed to enter in Delhi.

An official requesting anonymity said, “If any non-compliant vehicle returns from the border after spotting traffic police, we count them as returning vehicles. If anyone tries to enter forcefully by arguing, a challan of ₹10,000 is issued. Vice-versa, no vehicles except BS-VI are allowed to enter Noida from Delhi. Mostly, people are initially directed to return as per rules.”

The traffic police officials are also checking random vehicles for PUC violation and uncovered vehicles which cause pollution.

As per data from the Noida transport department, the Delhi government’s ban on non-BS VI vehicles entering the city from outside is expected to affect over half-a-million vehicles registered in Noida.

Noida has nearly a million registered vehicles, including 137,277 BS- III vehicles — 96,210 petrol and 41,067 diesel — and 282,906 BS IV vehicles, comprising 241,390 petrol and 41,516 diesel vehicles, all of which fall under the ban.

However, around 420,000 BS VI vehicles are registered in the city, apart from approximately 425,000 petrol and 33,295 diesel vehicles, which are permitted to operate during the restriction period.