Chaos, confusion as car curbs begin; AQI spikes

Around 3,746 vehicles were issued challans for lacking valid pollution certificates within 24 hours, while hundreds were turned back at border crossings.

Residents and commuters across Delhi and NCR faced fines, long waits at emission testing centres and border turn-backs on Thursday as authorities mounted an aggressive enforcement of vehicular restrictions — yet the city’s air quality deteriorated further, recording an index of 373 and exposing what critics call the futility of reactive pollution control ideas.

Delhi Traffic Police conduct checks at the Delhi–NCR border on Thursday. (Sakib Ali/ht photo)

Around 3,746 vehicles were issued challans for lacking valid pollution certificates within 24 hours, while hundreds were turned back at border crossings for not having newer, less-polluting or Delhi-registered cars. Fuel stations across the capital turned away dozens of motorists as the government’s “No PUC, No Fuel” directive took effect, along with a ban on all non-Delhi, non-BS-VI emission standard vehicles.

The widespread disruption — affecting daily commuters, healthcare workers and residents navigating life across the sprawling national capital region — underscored the mounting human cost of short-term measures that the Supreme Court described earlier this week as a “total failure,” even as pollution levels remained stubbornly in the hazardous range for the eighth consecutive day, reaching 398 by 11pm.

Experts stressed that the last-minute measures are not strong enough to mitigate the scale of crisis.

“The high pollution levels need drastic steps such as large-scale emission control across all sectors such as vehicles, industries and power plants. Even then, it will take several days to show results. What is needed in Delhi is consistent large-scale measures through the year rather than reducing a few hundred vehicles by checking PUC. Besides, at this time of the year, pollution is highly dependent on meteorological factors that can easily negate the impact of any such small steps taken for a few days,” said Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at Envirocatalysts.

Thursday’s enforcement actions unfolded across several fronts, but the most disruptive surrounded vehicular emissions — with environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa conducting surprise inspections at fuel stations near the Delhi-Gurgaon border and in central Delhi.

“This is a people’s movement to protect the health of Delhiites. We will succeed in this war against pollution only when every citizen joins hands with the government,” Sirsa said in a statement, appealing for compliance with emission norms and work-from-home advisories.

At petrol pumps, the minister instructed attendants to enforce restrictions firmly but courteously. “You are the first interface of this campaign on the ground. Please do not get into arguments with people; politely explain that this rule is for their own health and for the health of our children,” he told fuel station staff, directing them to ensure clear signage, regular announcements and proper queue management.

“Every valid PUCC issued today is a small victory in our war against pollution,” Sirsa told commuters during his inspections.

At the Kalindi Kunj bridge connecting Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, a team of seven traffic police personnel checked vehicles entering from Noida. “We stop cars that appear to be of older models or look damaged and check their details on the app. If they are not BS-VI compliant, we ask them to take a U-turn,” a traffic official said, requesting anonymity. The team had turned back approximately 100 vehicles by mid-morning.

But enforcement was less intensive at some locations. At the Badarpur border with Haryana, a municipal corporation staffer said only two to three cars had been turned back during morning hours, indicating either higher compliance or reduced traffic.

Joint teams from traffic police, the transport department and local police deployed handheld devices, smart plate-reader systems and e-challan apps to verify vehicle details in real time at entry points, toll plazas and major intersections.

But the restrictions created confusion and hardship for residents navigating daily life across the sprawling national capital region.

Cary Divelo, 51, a Gurgaon resident whose six-year-old BS-IV vehicle was stopped at Kalindi Kunj, said he was unaware of the new regulations. “We did not know about the regulations and now have to figure out a longer route back,” he said.

Dr Pushkar Verma, returning from Jaipur to his posting at GTB Hospital, was turned back at the Ghazipur border. “My vehicle is BS-IV and 10 years old. I was not aware of these norms,” he said.

Petrol station pains

At fuel stations, the “No PUC, No Fuel” directive produced long queues at emission testing centres and confrontations between attendants and motorists. One Mathura Road station reported turning away 25 cars and nearly 100 motorcycles on Thursday alone, while a facility in IP Estate recorded 60-70 vehicles daily seeking pollution checks — well above normal volumes.

At the Sarai Kale Khan CNG station, staff wearing placards reading “No PUC, No CNG” checked pollution documents of vehicles seeking refills. “We check both physical and online documents. If there is any discrepancy, we note the vehicle number and send it back without refueling,” said Hitesh Kumar, a staff member, adding that manpower had been increased from 20 to 27 to handle the checks.

The Delhi Petrol Dealers’ Association said enforcement remained largely peaceful but called for uniform implementation across the national capital region to prevent drivers from simply refueling in neighbouring states. Association president Nischal Singhania noted fewer vehicles arriving at city pumps.

The Supreme Court, which has monitored Delhi’s air pollution for nearly four decades, emphasised on Wednesday that sustainable solutions require coordinated action across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. The court scheduled its next hearing for Jan. 6, when authorities are expected to present a revised long-term strategy.

Sirsa said the government is also exploring longer-term technological interventions, including an algae-based air purification system for crowded areas and GIS tools for integrated pollution planning. Officials said a carpooling app and AI-enabled upgrades to the Green Delhi app are under consideration to strengthen monitoring and citizen participation.