NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Tuesday announced a ‘winter action plan’ to combat air pollution in the national capital, with measures including restrictions on vehicles that do not meet emission standards, a ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ policy and curbs on construction activities.The plan will be implemented from November 1 to February 28.Under the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ policy, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate will not be allowed to buy petrol, diesel, CNG or LPG at fuel stations.The government has also announced restrictions on vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards. Such vehicles will not be allowed to enter the capital.To tackle dust pollution, restrictions will be imposed on construction and demolition activities, as well as the transportation of construction materials.Construction sites will be monitored through AI-enabled cameras linked directly to the government’s control and command centre, the government said.The action plan also emphasises 50% work from home and the promotion of electric buses, Metro services and last-mile connectivity. The stated objective is to ensure clean air, healthy families and a pollution-free Delhi.
Inspections stepped up ahead of winter
Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, along with Urban Development Secretary Vivek Pandey, undertook a joint inspection of pollution hotspots and construction sites in South Zone areas on Sunday, October 11.According to a release, the team assessed air pollution levels around identified hotspots and reviewed measures being taken by various government agencies to control pollution ahead of winter.The Delhi government has also intensified inspections at construction sites to check dust pollution. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has issued show-cause notices to agencies where violations were found.
Mechanised sweeping, pollution study approved
In a separate move, the Delhi Cabinet, chaired by Gupta, approved the expansion of mechanised road sweeping to areas where the facility is currently unavailable.The plan covers around 609 km of roads with a right of way of less than 10 metres. A total of 854 roads across 250 wards have been identified for the initiative, the Cabinet said.The Cabinet has also approved a five-year collaboration with IIT Delhi to track and analyse the sources of PM2.5 and PM10 pollution.The system will examine major contributors, including vehicular emissions, road dust and biomass burning, and provide data on their contribution at different times of the day.
