NEW DELHI: In a massive crackdown on air pollution, Delhi authorities fined over 260,000 vehicles for not possessing valid Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC) in the last 50 days, collecting more than ₹260 crore in penalties.
The Environment Department of the Delhi government issued 260,258 challans from October 16 to December 6 as part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which prescribes measures based on air quality levels.
Breakdown of Challans Issued
- Stage 1 (October 16-22): 12,756 challans
- Stage 2 (October 22-November 14): 111,235 challans
- Stage 3 (November 15-17): 13,938 challans
- Stage 4 (November 18-December 5): 114,089 challans
- Post-December 5 (Return to Stage 2): 8,240 challans
Each violation of the PUCC rule incurs a fine of ₹10,000.
Severe Air Quality Prompts Action
On November 17, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) touched 450, falling into the “severe plus” category. This triggered Stage 4 of GRAP, which included stringent measures like banning non-essential trucks from entering the city. Exemptions were granted for vehicles carrying essential goods or those running on clean fuels.
GRAP’s Role in Anti-Pollution Measures
Introduced in 2017, the Graded Response Action Plan provides a structured approach to combating air pollution in Delhi and its surrounding areas, with escalating measures based on the severity of air quality. The recent crackdown highlights the city’s aggressive stance on enforcing pollution control norms amid worsening air conditions.
