No PUC, No Fuel: Maharashtra's New Plan To Fight Air Pollution Before Winter

The Maharashtra government is set to implement a new policy to combat violations of air pollution control norms by motorists. Petrol pumps will now have to deny fuel to vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate.

State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday announced the 'No PUC, No Fuel' policy to curb pollution and prevent the circulation of fake PUC certificates. The minister met state transport department officials and directed them to implement the policy effectively. The date of implementation is yet to be announced.

At every petrol pump, vehicles refueling will be scanned through CCTV cameras to determine the validity of their PUC certificate. If a vehicle's PUC certificate is invalid, fuel will not be provided.

"To provide a pollution-free environment to future generations, it is essential for the current generation to impose certain environmentally friendly restrictions on itself. For this purpose, the Pollution Under Control certificate issued to every vehicle must be valid," Sarnaik said.

"The chain of producing illegal certificates must be completely stopped. To achieve this, the 'No PUC, No Fuel' policy will be strictly enforced at every petrol pump in the future," he added.

The 'No PUC, No Fuel' policy was initially announced by the Maharashtra government in November 2019, with plans for implementation from January 2020, but faced challenges and delays, as per reports.

Pratap Sarnaik met state transport department officials on Wednesday. (Photo: X profile)

Invalid PUC

According to Sarnaik, arrangements will be made at petrol pumps to issue PUC certificates immediately, ensuring no inconvenience to motorists.

The PUC certificate will have a Unique Identity (UID), allowing its validity to be checked periodically.

Furthermore, the Transport Department has issued instructions to launch a vigorous campaign to expose gangs that are currently issuing PUC certificates illegally.

The 'No PUC, No Fuel' push comes weeks before winter sets in. Big cities like Mumbai, Thane, and Pune regularly get shrouded in thick smog. Air pollution increases in winter due to temperature inversion, which traps cold, dense air and pollutants close to the ground, preventing their dispersal by warm, rising air that is more common in summer.

Vehicle pollution is a major environmental and public health issue in India, with the transport sector contributing significantly to urban air pollution, especially through particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).

Maharashtra has been actively promoting electric vehicles through various incentives and policies as a long-term strategy to reduce vehicular pollution.