Entry curb on non-city vehicles below BS-VI, 50% WFH, double parking charges: Delhi's pollution plan

New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday announced a slew of measures to curb winter pollution, including restrictions on the entry of non-Delhi-registered vehicles below BS-VI, stricter enforcement of the "No PUC, No Fuel" rule and curbs on construction and demolition activities.

Vehicles registered outside Delhi that are below BS-VI will be prohibited from entering the national capital from November 1, while electric vehicles will be exempt from additional parking charges.

BS (I-VI) refers to emission standards of vehicles, with BS-VI vehicles being compliant with the most stringent standards.

Sirsa said the government will publicise the restriction in advance. CNG vehicles will not fall under the separate BS-IV restriction, he said. The Delhi government did not specify when the restriction will end.

Parking charges at authorised parking sites will be doubled from November 1 to February 28 to discourage private vehicle use, while electric vehicles will be exempt from the additional parking charges. Parking spaces owned and managed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will be excluded from the hike.

Office timings will be staggered from November 1 to February 28, with MCD offices functioning from 8:30 am to 5 pm and Delhi government offices from 10 am to 6:30 pm. Government and private offices will reduce their physical workforce by 50 per cent, with half of the staff working from home, the government said.

The measures were discussed at an action-based planning meeting on Delhi and NCR pollution chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, PWD Minister Parvesh Verma and Sirsa.

The "No PUC, No Fuel" rule will be strengthened and implemented in mission mode, with a strict campaign at all 500 ANPR-equipped petrol pumps in Delhi, Sirsa said. A public awareness campaign will be held in October and PUC (pollution under control) centres will be upgraded in November.

The fitness of ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras will also be checked, while around 2.5 lakh vehicles will undergo fitness checks through three automated testing stations. The government is also working under the Parivartan scheme to replace BS-IV and older goods vehicles and buses, with a mission-mode registration drive involving stakeholders.

Dust-generating demolition activity and outdoor civil construction work at construction sites will be prohibited from November 1 to December 10. Between December 10 and January 20, there will be a complete ban on construction and demolition activities, including indoor activities, officials said.

The government has registered 723 construction sites on its monitoring system, with pollution control at the sites being monitored through an AI-enabled automated system. Sirsa said less than 2-3 per cent of the sites had reported violations.

According to the government presentation, 600 of the 723 registered construction sites have been equipped with web cameras, while 100 per cent camera coverage of sites registered on the construction and demolition portal is targeted by October-end.

Registration on the MCD Malba App will also be made a mandatory condition for building plan sanctions, while awareness campaigns will be held for households undertaking repair and construction work.

On public transport, Sirsa said Delhi currently has 5,088 electric buses and another 150 buses will be added to the fleet. The government will also strengthen last-mile connectivity to promote public transport and metro use.

The government is working on high AQI (air quality index) and traffic-congestion hotspots, with Sirsa saying 42 of the 62 identified pollution hotspots have been brought under control. Action plans have been prepared for each hotspot covering a 3-kilometre radius, with district-level officials monitoring pollution sources and mitigation measures.

Of the 15 stretches identified for making traffic signal-free, eight have been completed and the remaining seven are targeted for completion by October 7. The government will also encourage carpooling and public transport use during the winter months.

The government also plans to expedite road redevelopment and meet its 2026 target of 3,065 km. Of this, 1,193 km had been redeveloped by September 20. The government has also set a deadline for improving footpaths, with agencies required to report progress on a weekly basis.

The presentation identified 18,484 pending complaints, including 3,272 related to unpaved roads and 6,914 pothole complaints. A 72-hour standard operating procedure is in place for addressing pothole complaints.

The government will undertake deep cleaning of all roads, including market roads, by October 31, while regular cleaning and maintenance will continue.

Waste collection from markets will be strengthened, including after closing hours, and garbage vulnerable points will be cleared and kept clean.

There will also be a special focus on unauthorised recycling activities and JJ clusters. Teams have been formed to prevent garbage burning, with four personnel assigned to each vehicle, including officials from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and municipal authorities. The government is also working with the Delhi Police on a special unit to tackle waste burning.

Under the winter preparedness plan, temporary "heating spots" equipped with heaters will be created to discourage people from burning biomass, wood and coal for warmth.

On greening, the government said its Mission 70 Lakh target had been exceeded, with 71 lakh plantations comprising 24 lakh trees and 47 lakh shrubs recorded till September 24. Of the 434 acres of identified brown areas targeted for greening, 433 acres had been greened.

The focus will now shift from plantation to survival, with a survival audit planned for March 2027. Resident welfare associations, schools and eco-clubs will be encouraged to adopt green and brown patches and participate in watering drives during the dry winter months.

The government is also taking action against polluting industries, particularly units involved in tyre and e-waste burning. Sirsa said action was being taken against industries violating pollution-control norms and that buildings found to be involved in polluting activities could be sealed.

Between December 1, 2025 and September 26, 2026, action had been taken against around 1.15 lakh units, of which 2,283 had been sealed, Sirsa said.

The government has also increased the air-quality monitoring network under the Commission for Air Quality Management from 47 to 60 stations. Around 80 per cent of complaints received through the 311 app have been redressed, Sirsa said.

Government departments will also be held accountable if pollution is found on their properties, around their offices, at transport facilities or at bus stands, he said.

The government is continuing work with neighbouring NCR states on pollution-control measures, while studies and monitoring systems are being used to identify local pollution sources.

Sirsa said the government was also working with IIT Kanpur on a pollution study, while micro-sensors and a monitoring "supersite" are being developed with technical institutions to identify pollution sources at a more local level.