Stepping up its efforts to combat air pollution, Delhi government has decided that vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate will not be allowed to refuel at petrol pumps in the national capital from December 18. This was announced by Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Tuesday.
The minister said vehicle owners have been given one day to comply with the PUC norms.Cameras installed at petrol pumps will automatically identify vehicles without valid PUC certificates, and from Thursday, such vehicles will be denied fuel without any confrontation or disruption, Sirsa said.Penalties have already been imposed on more than 8 lakh vehicle owners who currently do not possess valid PUC certificates, he added.
The minister said that from Thursday and until further orders, only BS-VI compliant vehicles from outside Delhi will be allowed to enter the city.Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Sirsa alleged that the party had been in power in the last 10 years but failed to take effective steps to control pollution, and is now blaming the present government and staging protests.
Acknowledging that pollution levels have worsened recently, he claimed that the situation is still better than last year due to sustained efforts by the current government over the last 10 months.Sirsa said biomethanation plants also contribute to pollution, and the government has provided 10,000 heaters to reduce emissions and ensure cleaner operations.
While the previous government had identified 13 pollution hotspots in 2018, the current government has identified 62, and is working to address them. The Air Quality Index levels in these locations were lower this year than in the past decade -- barring during the Covid period -- which is a significant achievement, the minister said.
Sirsa said Delhi currently has 3,400 electric buses. The government is pushing for cleaner public transport, and plans to deploy 7,500 electric buses that would significantly reduce vehicular pollution.
A scientific committee has been constituted, which has already held meetings to recommend effective pollution-control measures. The Commission for Air Quality Management has also formed a committee, he said.
Sirsa said vehicles carrying construction material would be banned and strict penalties would be imposed on violators, with offending vehicles being sealed
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