Delhi: Entry ban on non-city private vehicles below BS-VI comes into force

The ban on entry of nonDelhi private vehicles below BSVI standards and the enforcement of the No PUC No Fuel rule came into force in the national capital on Thursday as authorities stepped up measures to tackle worsening air pollution reported news agency PTIFuel pumps are not dispensing fuel to vehicles without valid PUC certificates and this is being enforced with the help of automatic number plate reader cameras voice alerts at pumps and police supportAccording to officials 580 police personnel have been deployed at 126 checkpoints including borders reported PTIAdditionally enforcement teams of the Transport Department have been deputed at petrol pumps and border points for effective implementation they added reported PTIThe entry ban on noncompliant BSVI vehicles however does not apply to vehicles running on CNG or electric power public transport vehicles carrying essential commodities or providing essential servicesVehicles carrying construction materials are also not permitted to enter the city under the GRAP IV restrictionsDelhiNCR wakes up to thick smog as AQI slips back into severe zoneMeanwhile thick smog continued to blanket Delhi and the National Capital Region NCR on Thursday morning with the capital witnessing a fresh deterioration in air quality as the Air Quality Index AQI was recorded at 356 according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board CPCBOut of the 39 air quality monitoring stations in Delhi four reported AQI readings in the severe category while several others hovered close to the same range underlining the persistence of hazardous air conditions across the cityVisuals from different parts of Delhi and the NCR showed sharply reduced visibility as dense smog engulfed roads residential areas and public spaces affecting daily movement and raising health concerns among residentsData from the Commission for Air Quality Managements SAMEER app indicated that Delhi recorded an AQI of 358 at 7 am on ThursdayThis marked a reversal from the marginal improvement seen a day earlier when the AQI had eased to 334 from 354 aided by relatively stronger winds sweeping through the regionThe India Meteorological Department IMD had forecast foggy conditions during the early hours of ThursdayHowever the weather agency also said that the presence of surface winds during the day was likely to prevent prolonged fog formation allowing visibility to gradually improve as the day progressesAccording to the IMD the predominant surface wind is expected to blow from the northwest at speeds of up to 10 kmph during the morning hours Wind speeds are likely to increase to around 15 kmph from the northwest in the afternoon before decreasing to below 10 kmph from the west during the evening and nightThis fluctuation in wind patterns the IMD said is expected to help disperse the fog and contribute to relatively clearer conditions during daylight hours on Thursday even as overall air quality remains a major concernUnder the Delhi governments new measures to curb air pollution in the national capital the No PUC No Fuel rule will come into force from ThursdayAdditionally only BSVI compliant vehicles registered outside Delhi will be allowed to enter the city from Thursday while trucks carrying construction material will remain banned Construction activity continues to be prohibited under GRAP norms with strict action promised against violatorsThe national capital continues to gasp under severe pollution prompting the Delhi government to announce an expansive set of emergency and longterm measures targeting vehicular emissions dust waste and traffic congestionWith inputs from PTI