Now, produce PUC certificates for insurance renewal

Not getting the emission level of your car or two-wheeler checked every quarter might cost you dear, Atul Mathur reports.

Not getting the emission level of your car or two-wheeler checked every quarter might cost you dear.

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To keep a check on the increasing level of air pollution in the national Capital, the Delhi government plans to link the renewal of insurance cover of vehicle with the pollution under control (PUC) certificates.

According to the proposal, the insurance cover will be renewed only after the vehicle owner produces the four PUC certificates issued every three months at the time of renewal.

The proposal is a part of a string of measures the environment department has proposed to take in the ‘five year air action plan’ to improve the quality of air in Delhi. A note of the air action plan is almost ready and would soon be tabled in the Cabinet for approval. Officials said the plan has been sent to other departments for comments.

According to officials, vehicular emission contributes to almost 70% of Delhi's air pollution. With the number of private vehicles on the rise, officials believe the quality of air will deteriorate if no immediate steps are taken to check it.

“The best solution, of course, is to strengthen public transport, so that people do not feel the need to use their vehicles. The government is making efforts in this direction but results would not be seen immediately. In the meantime, we want to ensure that vehicles comply with the emission norms,” said a senior Delhi government official.

There are about 74 lakh registered vehicles in Delhi and approximately 1,400 new vehicles are registered daily. According to an estimate, nearly two lakh vehicles — commercial and private — registered in other states enter Delhi daily.