Delhi's Pollution Crackdown: How 61,000 PUCCs Were Issued in 24 Hours

According to the release, the government is acting simultaneously on four fronts: vehicular pollution, dust from roads and construction activities, industrial pollution, and waste management. To rapidly reduce pollution, strict enforcement of the 'No PUC, No Fuel' campaign is underway, along with curbs on the entry of non-Delhi vehicles that do not meet BS-6 standards.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa briefed Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on the measures being taken by the Environment Department.

In his statement, Minister Sirsa said, "The Delhi government has had to take some tough but necessary decisions to reduce pollution. We appeal to everyone to fully comply with GRAP norms, the work-from-home advisory, and the 'No PUC, No Fuel' system."

On Thursday, Sirsa conducted surprise inspections at several petrol pumps, including those at the Delhi-Gurugram border and Janpath, to review compliance with the 'No PUC, No Fuel' directive. He interacted with pump staff and instructed them to strictly enforce the rules while remaining calm and courteous.

He said, "You are the first point of contact in this campaign. Cooperate with people and explain to them that this rule is for their health and the health of their children."

The Minister also directed that clear signboards, announcements, and better queue management be ensured. Speaking to vehicle owners on the spot, he said, "This is not a matter of issuing challans; it is a question of clean air. Every valid PUCC issued today is a small victory in our fight against pollution."

On December 17, 29,938 PUCCs were issued in Delhi. On December 18, up to 5.20 pm, 31,974 new certificates were issued. Thus, the total crossed 61,000 in nearly one day. The government expects the number of people obtaining PUCCs before refuelling petrol or diesel to increase further.

The Minister said, "More than 60,000 people getting their PUCCs in a single day shows that when citizens trust that steps are being taken in the public interest, they extend full cooperation."

In the last 24 hours, challans were issued to 3,746 vehicles without valid PUCCs. On the first day, joint teams of the Delhi Traffic Police and the Transport Department checked around 5,000 vehicles at border points and sent back 568 vehicles found violating the rules.

Sirsa thanked Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for their cooperation, stating that the fight against pollution can only be won through regional coordination.

Meanwhile, action has also been intensified on other pollution sources. In the last 24 hours, mechanical road sweepers were deployed to clean 2,300 kilometres of roads, mobile anti-smog guns were used across 5,524 kilometres, and 132 illegal waste dumping sites were shut. As part of traffic management measures, 217 non-destination trucks were diverted via the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways. In addition, around 38,019 metric tonnes of legacy waste were disposed of at landfill sites.

The Environment Minister said these figures show that the Delhi government is targeting all sources of pollution. "Our teams are on the ground 24x7. This is the only way we can permanently improve Delhi's air."

According to the release, the Delhi government is also developing new technologies to combat pollution. Sirsa reviewed an algae-based air pollution control system proposed for installation in congested areas and held a meeting on GIS-based solutions presented by BISAG to improve pollution control and road planning.

In addition, the government is working on developing a car-pooling app and upgrading the Green Delhi app with AI-based features to ensure faster resolution of citizen complaints and increased public participation.

The Minister said that despite directions issued under GRAP-4, some private offices are still not allowing at least 50 percent of their staff to work from home. He instructed such institutions to comply and said action could be taken against those failing to follow the rules.

Furthermore, Sirsa said, "This is a people's movement involving both the government and the public. Only when the government and citizens move together will Delhi be able to get clean air."

- ANI