Just BS-6 vehicles can enter Delhi if Grap 3, 4 in effect

THe new delhi authorities on tues proclaimed a raft of vehicular restrictions to tackle the toxic beam enveloping the Capital this winter as stronger winds dissipated pollutants and pushed air quality into the “very poor” category, helping break the dubious streak of three “severe” air days.City environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa dismissed criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party government’s record of fighting pollution, and said that no vehicle registered outside Delhi with emission standards lower than BS VI – which came into effect in April 2020 – will be allowed to enter the city from Thursday.He also said that vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate in Delhi will not be allowed to refuel at petrol pumps from Thursday, and that trucks with construction materials – construction is banned across the national capital region as part of Stage four of the Graded Action Plan (Grap) – will be seized on the spot.“It is impossible for any elected government to reduce AQI in 9-10 months. I apologise for the pollution in Delhi. We are doing better work than the dishonest AAP government, and we have reduced AQI each day. This disease of pollution is given to us by the Aam Aadmi Party, and we are working to fix it,” Sirsa said in the press conference.Written statements issued by the government hours later clarified that the order on vehicles will only be applicable under Grap 3 – which is clamped when the AQI breaches 400 – and 4, which comes into effect when the AQI crosses 450. The statements also said that the ban on trucks carrying construction material will be applicable under Grap 4.“If a vehicle is Delhi registered then it can ply here, but we are giving non-Delhi registered vehicles below BS VI time till tomorrow to leave if in Delhi. From Thursday, we will take action against such vehicles,” Sirsa said at the press conference, adding the restrictions applied to all types of vehicles – private and commercial.“All dealers of the petrol/diesel/CNG pumps are directed to dispense or sell these fuels to motor vehicles only on production of valid Pollution under Control Certificate (PUCC),” he said.Currently under Grap 4, non-Delhi registered vehicles with emission standards under BS IV – which was implemented in 2017 – are not allowed to enter the Capital. Similarly, construction is already banned under Grap 4.In effect, the new orders on Tuesday represent an incremental effort in tackling the sheets of poisonous air that regularly blanket the Capital every winter, jeopardising the lives of its 25 million residents, causing untold health impairments, and harming India’s global reputation.The announcement came on a day Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 354 (very poor) at 4pm – improving from a reading of 427 at the same time on Monday. This snapped a three day streak of severe days, as winds picked up, touching 15 km/hour speeds during the day. But despite the dissipating fog, over 500 flights were delayed and over 130 were cancelled at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport as the impact of very dense fog and widescale disruptions on Monday spilled over into Tuesday.The current spell of bad air began on the weekend, when surface pollutants stayed trapped under slow winds, dipping temperatures, and an “inversion” layer, even as a weak sun failed to disperse them. Residents continue to complain of laboured breathing and burning eyes — which have now become all too normal — and the weather conditions served as a reminder of collapsing systems that fail to mitigate the yearly health crisis that descends on the Capital.Analysis of long-term data shows that the worst may not yet be over, as further changes in meteorology and dipping temperatures are likely to worsen air quality by the month-end. Delhi typically sees a spike in pollution in the second half of December. The first pollution peak in October-November typically coincides with stubble burning and Diwali, and the second is driven by low temperatures, fog and local sources, such as vehicles and waste burning.Sirsa said enforcement will be carried out through ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras and on-ground checks. Earlier this year, ANPR cameras were installed at border points and fuelling stations to capture end of life vehicles (15-year-old petrol and 10-year-old diesel vehicles). Sirsa said the transport department will be the nodal agency for enforcement and will work in coordination with the Delhi traffic police.“Automatic Number Plate Recognition and on-ground checks will be deployed to verify PUCC status and emission category of vehicles. We ask citizens not to argue with enforcement officials at fuel stations and borders, if found violating these orders,” he said.The Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) welcomed the move, but said petrol pumps were not an enforcement agency. “In these challenging times, when air pollution is gravely impacting public health, extraordinary steps are indeed necessary. We welcome the initiative taken by the Delhi government, however, effective enforcement of this directive remains an extremely difficult and arduous task,” it said in a statement.Experts welcomed the move. Amit Bhatt, managing director (India), International Council on Clean Transportation, referred to a recent report by the institute, which showed these vehicles have significantly higher real-world emissions as compared to the laboratory limits.“The current PUC system does not capture PM2.5 emissions, a major public health risk. The next step should be to formalise these restrictions and accelerate the transition to electric vehicles for lasting air-quality benefits,” he said.IIT Delhi professor Mukesh Khare said although the move was necessary, it came after three days of severe air. “In the long run, we need to stop construction and demolition activities as well as the movement of BS IV vehicles from October itself. We should not wait for Grap,” he said.The minister also listed a series of measures taken by the BJP government to reduce air pollution, which included electrification of the public bus fleet; extensive crackdowns on polluting commercial and industrial establishments and action on polluting diesel generator sets.Sirsa said out of the 202 acres occupied by Delhi’s three landfill sites, around 45 acres was reclaimed, with seven acres being developed into a dense forest. “Our waste processing capacity for legacy waste has also been increased from 20,000 metric tonnes per day to nearly 35,000 metric tonnes. Delhi’s public transport is undergoing a massive green transition. With 3,427 electric buses already inducted and a target of 7,500 by December 2026, we will drastically cut vehicular emissions in the city,” he added.