Delhi gears up for winter pollution, to enforce PUC norms from October 1
Delhi is set to tighten the screws on vehicles that do not have valid pollution certificates, with the government announcing an enforcement drive from October 1 as part of its efforts to tackle air pollution ahead of winter.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the move on Saturday while inaugurating an Automated Testing Station (ATS) in Burari, where she said the government was working on multiple fronts to improve air quality in the national capital.
The enforcement drive will focus on checking whether vehicles have valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. The government will also use technology to strengthen monitoring and improve the functioning of PUC centres across the city.
"We want to ensure that every person in Delhi gets clean air to breathe. This enforcement will be done to check whether the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates are valid. Delhi government is working round the year to reduce air pollution; this is one step towards that," Gupta said.
She said the PUC certification system would be made more effective and reliable, with cameras being installed at all centres issuing pollution certificates.
The newly inaugurated Burari ATS, which Gupta described as the country's biggest, is expected to expand automated testing of commercial vehicles for compliance with pollution and fitness norms.
The facility can test 40,000 heavy motor vehicles and 60,000 light motor vehicles annually.
Transport Minister Pankaj Singh said fitness tests at the facility would be carried out through a fully automated process, covering braking efficiency, suspension performance, headlight condition, side-slip, emission levels and the underside of vehicles.
"More commercial vehicles will be tested and checked for pollution norms through this," Gupta said.
Earlier, on September 3, another ATS with an annual testing capacity of around 72,000 vehicles was inaugurated at Tehkhand, Singh said.
The latest measures come as Delhi prepares for the winter months, when deteriorating air quality remains a recurring concern in the capital.- Ends
