Delhi Pollution Curbs Explained: Are Older BS3 Vehicles Still Allowed to Operate?

Supreme Court restricts older vehicles in Delhi to combat severe air pollution, allowing only BS4 petrol and BS6 compliant engines on roads.

The Supreme Court has ordered that vehicles only with BS4 (Bharat Stage 4) compliant engines and above will be allowed to run on Delhi roads. So, no, if you own a vehicle equipped with a BS3 (Bharat Stage 3) engine, it will not be allowed to run on the Delhi roads, even if you have a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. This order comes because of the massive air pollution that the city is facing.

The visibility has taken a huge hit because of the layer of smog. (PTI Photo)

The new order comes as a modification of a previous order that was announced on August 12th. The Supreme Court clarified on Wednesday (December 17) that while coercive action against diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in the National Capital Region is prohibited, action may still be taken against those vehicles that do not comply with emission standards below BS4. So, basically, vehicles registered in Delhi with a BS4 petrol engine and all BS6 engines will be allowed to run.

A bench consisting of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul Pancholi issued the order at the behest of the Delhi Government, which requested measures against older vehicles due to the air quality emergency in the national capital.

Back in August, the Supreme Court, responding to a petition from the Delhi government, ruled that no strict measures would be taken against diesel vehicles that are 10 years old and petrol vehicles that are 15 years old.

The court provided clarification yesterday in response to a request from the Central Pollution Control Authority, known as CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management). The Commission highlighted the severe pollution enveloping Delhi-NCR, stating that vehicles equipped with older engines (BS3) significantly contribute to pollution and should not be granted any exemptions.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the Environment Minister of Delhi, said that this initiative is one of several urgent measures being implemented to address the escalating pollution levels. He further cautioned that stringent actions will be enforced against trucks transporting construction materials, emphasising that these vehicles will incur substantial fines and could be confiscated if they are discovered to be in breach of the newly established regulations.

No fuel without PUC

In a further important development, petrol stations in Delhi will refuse to provide fuel to vehicles lacking a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. This regulation will also take effect starting Thursday. As stated by Sirsa, fuel stations have been directed to ensure adherence to this rule, and vehicles without a valid PUC will be prohibited from refuelling.

Delhi has been experiencing ongoing toxic smog for several weeks, resulting in reduced visibility, health warnings, and interruptions to everyday life. The air quality in many areas of Delhi-NCR has consistently fallen into the severe category, with Air Quality Index (AQI) measurements exceeding the 400 threshold in various locations.

GRAP 4 already implemented

According to the official classification, AQI levels ranging from 101 to 200 are deemed moderate, levels from 201 to 300 are classified as poor, levels from 301 to 400 are categorised as very poor, and any level exceeding 400 is classified as severe. Recently, AQI levels in the area have alarmingly approached the ‘Severe Plus’ threshold.

In light of the deteriorating circumstances, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has enacted Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) throughout the entire National Capital Region (NCR). Stage 4 is activated when AQI nears or surpasses 450, instituting the most stringent pollution-control measures.