Software to check emission data

 In a bid to eliminate tampering of PUC checks, the Delhi government has updated its software used at Pollution Under Control (PUC) centres which will have online real-time data updating mechanism.

Under the new software, the PUC centres will be connected to a central server and emission data for vehicles will be directly uploaded on it. This will keep a check on “willful misreporting” and tampering of emission data.

“The transport department has already conducted a successful trial run of the new software at one petrol pump near Delhi University,”  Transport Minister Gopal Rai said.
There are some 650 PUC centres in Delhi and they will soon be connected to the contol room and linked to a common server, he said.

The department was working on the software since July and it had to become operational by September. However, there was a delay of a month due to some “technical glitches”.

According to a transport official, at present PUC certificate is issued at these centres at the petrol pumps and the government has come across that on several occassions the emission data is being tampered with and a certificate being issued. 

The new technology will give accurate emission data by automatically updating it on the server, thus avoid manual interference.

“The emissions data of vehicles will now directly get uploaded on the central server. The record will be checked and if under permissible limit, the control room will issue the certificate,” he said.

“Till now the PUC certificates were being procured with police checking point of view. But now with the new software, our focus is on clearing Delhi’s toxic air,” the official added.
The government is also planning to initiate levying a fine of Rs 1,000 for vehicles without a valid PUC certificate.

The senior official said the government will also check all PUC centres for equipment, workforce and licence to operate and violation of any of these will lead to cancellation of licences.

Also, in order to address the paucity of PUC centres, some 2,000 such centres will come up in the capital.