Delhi imposes stringent anti-pollution measures; AQI remains in 'very poor' category

New Delhi: Long queues at petrol pumps for PUC and intensified checking at Delhi borders greeted commuters as the authorities stepped up checks for BS-VI compliance and valid PUC certificates on Thursday, even as the air quality was recorded in the higher spectrum of the 'very poor' category.

The city witnessed nearly 76 per cent jump in the issuance of pollution under control (PUC) certificates on Wednesday, a day before the 'No PUC, No Fuel' rule came into force in the national capital.

On Thursday, by 5.20 pm, 31,974 certificates were issued. The rush also slowed down the PUC server, leading to more people queuing up.

Since Wednesday, at least 3,746 vehicles have been challaned in Delhi for non-possession of valid PUC certificate, according to official data. On the first day of intensified enforcement, joint teams of Delhi Traffic Police and transport department checked around 6,174 vehicles at border points and turned back 568 non-compliant or non-destined vehicles.

Till 4 pm, 289 vehicles were challaned for not meeting the BS-VI norms.

While PUC kiosks at fuel pumps witnessed heightened activity, the sale of petrol and diesel, especially at those located near city border points, was relatively lower compared to other days, with the owners attributing the decline to fear of the measures implemented.

According to the Delhi Petrol Dealers' Association (DPDA), technical issues also hampered the implementation, as automatic number plate reader (ANPR) cameras failed to detect vehicles without PUC certificates till afternoon at many fuel stations. Regular announcements were made to inform the staff about vehicles not having valid certificates.

On the day the stringent curbs came into force in Delhi, air pollution worsened, with the 24-hour average AQI recorded in the 'very poor' category with a reading of 373, up from 334 a day earlier.

Under the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classification, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor' and 401 and 500 'severe'.

Out of 40 air quality monitoring stations in the city, 15 recorded 'severe' air quality. Anand Vihar registered the highest reading at 441, in the 'severe-plus' category, while 24 stations recorded 'very poor' air quality, according to the CPCB's SAMEER app.

Speaking at a conclave, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav noted that while the number of days with an air quality index below 200 has increased in Delhi, the situation is still not satisfactory, and authorities need to do better.

"The results of the steps we are taking will be visible over the next four years," he added.

At several fuel stations, vehicles lined up as pollution certificates were verified. Motorists without valid documents were denied fuel, prompting a few to make phone calls for assistance.

Traffic police and transport enforcement teams turned away many vehicles not meeting the BS-VI standards from the border points. According to the DPDA, there was a decline in sales at petrol pumps located near border points.

"We feel that customers are going to fuel stations in Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad for refuelling their vehicles. Also, a fear psychosis could be at work, and people might be afraid that they could be caught for some other traffic offence," Nischal Singhania, president of DPDA, said.

He also flagged the other problems that arose on the first day, including the lack of live feed from the ANPR cameras.

According to official data, 2,743 vehicles were challaned for plying without PUC by Delhi Traffic police, while transport department teams issued 316 challans between midnight and 8 am on Thursday. The ANPR cameras detected 687 vehicles during the same time period.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that while the 'No PUC, No Fuel' rule may cause inconvenience to people, it is a collective moral responsibility to ensure that all vehicles are tested and certified for pollution.

She added that strengthening the public transport system is the most effective solution to tackle pollution, and appealed to people to avoid using private vehicles for solo travel.

On Wednesday, Labour Minister Kapil Mishra directed Delhi government and and private offices in the national capital to operate with a maximum of 50 per cent staff physically present at workplaces, with the remaining employees required to work from home.

More than 1.56 lakh challans were issued to people in Delhi over the last two months for driving vehicles without a valid PUC certificate, as enforcement was stepped up to curb vehicular emissions in the national capital, official data shows.

Meanwhile, a political blame game over the pollution crisis intensified as Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma attacked the previous AAP government, alleging that it failed to carry out even the basic civic works over the past decade, leaving the present administration to address long-pending issues ranging from garbage mountains and broken roads to pollution and Yamuna cleaning.

Verma said that if even a single substantial work had been done earlier, the city would not be facing the current situation.

Responding to Verma's allegation, AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said they were ready for a public debate with the BJP on the work done by Arvind Kejriwal as the then chief minister of Delhi.

"For the BJP, Arvind Kejriwal was the scapegoat when he was in power. Whenever the crisis happened in the last 10 years, they would blame Kejriwal. Now when their four engine government is in power, we want to ask them what are they doing? UP, Haryana and Rajasthan also have BJP governments at the helm. What are the steps being taken?" he said.