Delhi Pollution: Border Checks Under ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ Rule See 3,700 Challans, 570 Turned Away
Intensified enforcement under the No PUC, No Fuel rule has led to thousands of challans and vehicles being turned back as Delhi remains under GRAP-IV.
Delhi’s intensified crackdown under the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule has resulted in widespread enforcement action at the city’s entry points, with authorities issuing over 3,700 challans and turning away nearly 570 vehicles in a single day.
According to the Delhi government, joint teams from the Traffic Police and the Transport Department have checked around 5,000 vehicles at key entry points in the last 24 hours. 3,746 vehicles were fined for not having a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate, and 568 vehicles that were either non-compliant or non-destined were denied entry. In addition, 217 non-destined trucks were redirected via the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways to reduce wasteful traffic into Delhi.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa stated that the figures showed stricter enforcement and higher compliance. He said border checks had already resulted in a noticeable decrease in the number of outside vehicles entering the city, and that coordination with adjacent states was critical to efficiently managing regional pollution levels.
The enforcement push also resulted in a substantial increase in demand for PUC certificates. Officials verified that approximately 61,000 PUCCs were issued on December 17 and 18, indicating that drivers are responding to the stricter checks.
The Delhi government stated that the enforcement is part of a broader set of actions aimed at combating severe air pollution, including steps to limit road dust, industrial emissions, and waste-related pollution. Authorities have warned that inspections will continue in the coming days and asked vehicle owners to keep their emission certifications up to date to avoid penalties.
The crackdown comes as Delhi remains under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan, the strictest level invoked when air quality hits the ‘severe’ category. Under GRAP-IV, strict restrictions have been placed on vehicle movement, fuel sales and construction activity. Vehicles that are not BS6-compliant or do not run on cleaner sources of energy such as CNG, LNG or electricity are barred from entering or operating within Delhi-NCR.
This includes BS3 petrol and BS4 diesel vehicles, non-BS6 trucks and light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi, and older diesel-powered medium and heavy goods vehicles registered within the capital, with the exception of those engaged in essential or emergency services.
