Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Tuesday, December 23, that ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ policy will continue in the national capital even after the pollution restrictions linked to GRAP-IV are lifted. The decision to continue the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ policy has been taken by the Delhi government as part of the efforts to control air pollution in the city.
This means that no vehicle without Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate will be allowed to operate in the city even after the GRAP-IV restrictions to control air pollution are lifted.
He said action has been taken against faulty pollution testing centres and stricter checks, along with new pollution control measures.
While addressing a press conference, Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “In Delhi, along with GRAP 4, our PUCC (Pollution Under Control Certificate) campaign was running with the slogan 'No PUC, No Fuel'.”
The minister continued that the authorities have suspended and blacklisted at least 12 PUCC centres that were engaged in irregularities.
He said, “We will continue this even after the GRAP restrictions are lifted. We have found 12 PUCC centres that were involved in irregularities, and they have been suspended and will be blacklisted.”
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has issued 411 closure notices to date, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has sealed 400 units in order to curb industrial pollution.
Four new automatic testing stations have been sanctioned, while anti-smog guns have been installed on high-rise buildings. The minister said that Delhi has around 1,000 water bodies that need to be rejuvenated, and the government has proposed allocating ₹100 crore for the purpose.
"Also, CM Rekha Gupta has sanctioned four new automatic testing stations. The ASGs (Anti-Smog Guns) installed on top of high-rise buildings in Delhi have been given more time to operate, and building owners have been given the option to install misting systems around their premises," he said.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa also informed that Delhi's first e-waste part at Holambi Kalam will soon be set up.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), air quality spiked to 'severe' levels in certain areas of the National Capital Region (NCR). Multiple parts of the city continued to witness alarmingly high pollution levels.
CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) has invoked all actions under GRAP Stage-IV in Delhi-NCR.
From December 18, the Delhi government banned vehicles without a valid PUC certificate from refueling at petrol pumps in the national capital.
Sirsa said owners have been given one day to comply with the rule. “After tomorrow, vehicles that do not have a valid PUC certificate will not be provided fuel,” he said.