Come Dec 1, pollution check certificate must for refuelling

From December 1, tanking up at a petrol pump will require a pollution under control (PUC) certificate to keep checks on vehicular emissions and clean Delhi’s air.

The Delhi government has plans to educate people over the next few weeks to get their vehicles’ emission levels checked, said an environment department official.

The decision to make possession of a valid PUC a pre-condition for refuelling was taken on the suggestions of a high-powered committee on checking air and water pollution, set up by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.

A new Euro 4 vehicles’ PUC is valid for one year while other vehicles’ certificate is valid for three months. A PUC for a petrol and diesel vehicle costs between Rs 70-100.
According to Chief Secretary D M Spolia, most filling stations have a PUC centre on their premises.

“The government would call applications for sanction of new PUC centres at filling stations where the facility is not available,” he said in a statement. 

He said once the number of PUC points is augmented, vehicle owners and drivers, on denial of fuel for not having valid vehicle PUC certificate, would be able to get one at the filling stations then and there.

From January 1 to September 5 this year, as many as 24,025 violators were fined for not carrying a valid PUC certificate.

Jung constituted the high-powered committee after a WHO air quality database  showed Delhi is the most polluted among 1,600 global cities.