How Delhi’s New Pollution Controls Will Impact 12 Lakh Vehicles In NCR — Explained
Only vehicles meeting BS6 emission standards will be allowed into Delhi from outside areas, during periods when GRAP Stage III and IV measures are enforced.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Sirsa has declared that, from Thursday, only BS6-compliant vehicles would be permitted to enter the capital. The tighter curbs, introduced as emergency steps under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), are aimed at cutting emissions and tackling winter air pollution.
However, the decision will prevent around 12 lakh vehicles registered outside Delhi from entering the capital.
The minister said motorists have a 24-hour window to meet pollution-under-control (PUC) requirements, adding that automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras already installed at petrol stations would flag vehicles without valid certificates.
As Delhi enforces GRAP Stages III and IV in response to poor air quality, access to the city will be restricted to BS6-compliant vehicles from neighbouring regions, according to Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. Vehicles failing to produce a valid PUC certificate will also be barred from refuelling within the capital.
The rollout has left petrol pump owners unclear about how the measures will be enforced and they have asked for a meeting with Sirsa over the requirement to verify PUC certificates before refuelling, as per an NDTV report.
Petrol pump operators have flagged serious operational challenges, saying it would be unfeasible to verify PUC documents for every vehicle and could expose staff to conflicts with drivers, the report added.
Delhi has more than 650 fuel stations, each catering to roughly 5,000 to 6,000 vehicles every day.
The rules cover both private and commercial vehicles registered in neighbouring states, including Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, with authorities stepping up checks at Delhi’s entry points to ensure compliance.
The restrictions are likely to disrupt thousands of vehicles that enter Delhi daily for work, trade and personal travel. Estimates from across the NCR suggest that more than 2 lakh non-BS6 vehicles in Gurgaon, over 4 lakh in Noida and around 5.5 lakh in Ghaziabad will be affected.
These are vehicles registered outside the capital that fail to meet BS6 emission standards and are now barred under the current pollution-control measures.
