In a bid to combat the rising air pollution, the Delhi government has imposed a ban on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers from Friday, as part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-III). This measure comes after the city’s air quality worsened, reaching the “severe” category on the Air Quality Index (AQI).
Violators of the ban will face a ₹20,000 fine and could be prosecuted under Section 194(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. The order also specifies that Delhi-registered diesel-operated Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs) with BS-III or lower standards are prohibited, unless they are carrying essential commodities or providing essential services.
Additionally, inter-state buses from neighboring NCR states, unless they are electric, CNG, or BS-VI diesel vehicles, will not be allowed to enter Delhi. Only buses or tempo travellers with an All India Tourist Permit will be exempted.
This move follows an order from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which directed the implementation of GRAP-III starting Friday at 8 am to address the severe air quality situation in the Delhi-NCR region.
As part of GRAP-III, a series of measures have been introduced to reduce pollution, including more frequent mechanized road sweeping, daily water sprinkling along with dust suppressants, and proper disposal of collected dust at designated landfills. Furthermore, all demolition work, excavation, boring, drilling, and transportation of demolition waste have been banned to limit additional pollution.
The GRAP system categorizes air quality into four levels: ‘Poor’ (AQI 201-300), ‘Very Poor’ (AQI 301-400), ‘Severe’ (AQI 401-450), and ‘Severe Plus’ (AQI above 450). In 2023, Delhi’s AQI entered the ‘severe’ category on November 2, much earlier than this year.
The new measures, part of an 11-point action plan, are designed to work alongside other ongoing efforts to tackle air pollution, including enhancing public transport use, increasing road cleaning, and controlling dust emissions in high-traffic areas.
