Delhi pollution rules explained: non-BS6 ban, No PUC No Fuel, WFH

Delhi’s winter pollution rules came into force on Sunday (1 November). The Delhi pollution rules target older vehicles from outside the city, dust from building sites and daily office commutes, and most stay in place until 31 January, with some running to 28 February. Here is who they cover, who is exempt and how they will be enforced.

Which vehicles are barred? Motor vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission norms cannot ply in the city from 1 November to 31 January. Older petrol and diesel cars from Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad are likely to be hit hardest. CNG and electric vehicles are exempt, as are emergency and sovereign-duty vehicles such as ambulances, fire tenders and police vehicles, and any others the Delhi government’s Environment Department specifically exempts.

What is ‘No PUC, No Fuel’? Fuel stations will refuse petrol, diesel and CNG to vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control certificate. Around 500 pumps have automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras that flag vehicles with an expired PUC, and there is no exemption to this rule.

Who has to work from home? Government and private offices must have half their staff working from home until 31 January. Essential and emergency services are exempt, and in government offices, secretaries and heads of department must attend regularly. Delhi government offices will run from 10 am to 6.30 pm and MCD offices from 8.30 am to 5 pm until 28 February to spread out peak-hour traffic.

What about construction? Dust-generating demolition and outdoor civil construction are banned until 31 January. Essential public infrastructure projects are exempt, and indoor finishing, plumbing and electrical work can continue if dust-control norms are followed. A complete construction and demolition ban, with limited exemptions, follows from 10 December to 20 January, when trucks carrying sand, cement, bricks and debris will also be kept out of the city.

Will parking cost more? Yes. Charges at authorised parking sites are doubled until 28 February. Parking run by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is exempt.

How will it be enforced? According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office, special teams, ANPR cameras at borders and fuel stations, and an AI-enabled Integrated Command and Control Centre will monitor compliance. Non-compliant vehicles will get e-challans and may be impounded, and transport authorities have coordinated with neighbouring states to stop non-BS-VI public buses at the borders. Unauthorised construction will draw work-stop notices, environmental compensation penalties and sealing, The Hindu reported.

These rules sit alongside the Graded Response Action Plan, whose Stage I has been in force in Delhi-NCR since 21 October. Our earlier explainer covers how GRAP’s stages work.