The Delhi Government has decided to sell petrol and diesel to only those who possess a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate from October 2. A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar Srivastava on Wednesday. 

Top sources told The Pioneer this means that vehicles without a valid PUC certificate issued by the notified agency would not get diesel or petrol from pumps in Delhi from October.

This extreme measure is being taken to reduce pollution in the city and is also aimed at sending a message to Delhiites that they need to avoid adding pollutants to the air of the National Capital.

Sources said it was also decided that the transport department should integrate the vehicle registration and PUC certification database and take out a list of defaulters.

Such defaulters would be warned via e-mail and SMS and subsequently challans would be sent to them for not having a valid PUC certificate.

The drive will be implemented in a phased manner, beginning with an awareness campaign of one month in which the people would be made aware of the importance of the PUC certificate and penal provisions for not having a PUC certificate, followed by an enforcement phase.

The transport department is also going to request land owning agencies DDA and land and Development Office, to erect temporary structures within the premises of petrol pumps for pollution checking kiosks without levy of any charges.

For effective implementation of the pollution control drive, the transport department will soon write to all vehicle owners who don’t have a PUC certificate, asking them to get the anti-pollution check done.

According to Delhi Government data, just 33 per cent vehicles have valid PUC certificates in the city. Out of the total 80 lakh vehicles registered in Delhi, 30 to 40 lakhs are on the road on any given day. Out of these, only 12 to 15 lakh vehicles have the certificate. With Delhi having shifted to Euro-IV fuel, there is an urgent need to upgrade PUC norms.

A committee on air pollution, set up by lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung, in its recommendation has suggested tightening of PUC norms for all vehicles. 

Apart from a PUC certificate the transport department would also give a sticker with the registration number and validity of PUC certificate printed in a big font so that petrol pump attendants would be able to see it from a distance. The present PUC is just a paper printout.

As per law, all vehicles plying in the city are required to carry a valid PUC certificate, one year from the date of first registration. Thereafter, the certificate is renewed every three months after a check from a certified PUC centre. Any vehicle found without a valid certificate is liable to be prosecuted under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, under which there is a fine of Rs 1,000 for the first offence and Rs 2,000 for every subsequent violation.

At present, there are 326 Government-approved computerised pollution checking centres for petrol and CNG vehicles and 169 checking centres for diesel vehicles. The fee is Rs 35 for two-wheelers, Rs 45 for four-wheelers running on petrol and Rs 60 for all diesel vehicles. There are 80 lakh vehicles in the national Capital.  About ten lakh vehicles coming into the Capital from NCR towns like Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad are a major cause for concern as there is virtually no pollution testing in these cities.