Traffic police to strictly enforce ban on non-BS VI vehicles from outside Delhi

Teams from the Delhi Traffic Police and transport department will be deployed across petrol pumps and border entry points as the ban on non-BS VI vehicles registered outside Delhi takes effect from Thursday, 18 December. This move aims to curb rising air pollution levels as the city grapples with seasonal smog and deteriorating air quality.

Officials said around 78 to 80 enforcement teams will operate at key border points including Kundi, Rajokri, Tikri, Aya Nagar, Kalindi Kunj, Auchandi, Mandoli, Kapashera, Bajghera toll and Dwarka Expressway. The deployment is part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), designed to combat pollution spikes during winter months.

From Thursday, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) will be barred from refueling at petrol pumps within the national capital, further discouraging the use of polluting vehicles.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa had earlier announced that all vehicles below the BS-VI emissions standard and registered outside Delhi will be prohibited from entering the city when GRAP levels 3 and 4 are implemented. The ban targets older vehicles that significantly contribute to Delhi’s hazardous air quality.

Using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology alongside on-ground checks, officials will verify the PUCC and emission category of vehicles entering Delhi.

A senior Delhi Traffic Police officer said multiple teams will work at all Delhi-Haryana and Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border checkpoints to enforce the restrictions strictly.

"Only BS-VI private vehicles, regardless of state registration, with valid pollution certificates will be allowed entry from UP and Haryana sides," the officer said. "Strict action will be taken against those violating the rules."

This ban forms part of broader pollution control measures, alongside restrictions on construction activities and industrial emissions, aimed at reducing toxic pollutants and improving health outcomes during the winter pollution season in the capital.

(With agency inputs)