Delhi Bars Non-BS6 Vehicles to Combat Air Pollution

The Government of Delhi has barred all vehicles that are not BS6-compliant from entering the national capital to combat deteriorating air quality. This action follows the Commission for Air Quality Management's invocation of Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-II) on October 21.

Enforcement intensified over a two-day period, during which authorities denied entry to more than 23,000 vehicles. Delhi Police and Transport Department teams established checkpoints at the DND Flyway, Kalindi Kunj, Chilla Gaon, and the Singhu border. At Kalindi Kunj alone, officials inspected approximately 500 vehicles in one day, turning back 50 and fining 20 for pollution violations. On November 1, checks at the Singhu border and other entry points involved 7,279 vehicles, resulting in 714 being turned back and 38 impounded.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa coordinated with officials from Noida, Faridabad, Gurugram, Sonipat, and Bahadurgarh to manage border traffic and prevent polluting buses from entering the city. To further mitigate smog, the city implemented mechanical road sweeping, water sprinkling, and the diversion of non-Delhi bound trucks through the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways.