Delhi clamps down on polluters: Office-goers told to stay home, dirty vehicles locked out

Delhi tightened its anti-pollution net on Thursday as air quality remained in the ‘severe’ category for a third consecutive day, triggering additional curbs by the city government on top of the toughest stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

The fresh measures came alongside GRAP-4 restrictions imposed by the Commission for Air Quality Management after sustained hazardous air levels. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, sharply criticised the authorities, warning that piecemeal action was inadequate to deal with a public health emergency of this scale.

Hybrid work rules, mobility curbs rolled out

Under the new directions, all government and private offices in the National Capital Territory were instructed to switch to a hybrid work-from-home system. Labour minister Kapil Mishra said no more than half of an organisation’s staff should attend work physically, with the rest required to work remotely, failing which action could be taken.

The order exempts emergency and frontline services, including hospitals, health workers, fire services, pollution control staff, transport and sanitation workers, as well as daily-wage labourers whose jobs cannot be performed remotely.

At the same time, the Delhi government moved to restrict vehicular inflow. Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced that vehicles below Bharat Stage VI standards and registered outside Delhi would not be permitted to enter the city when higher stages of GRAP were in force. The final notification clarified that the ban applies specifically during Stage 4 restrictions.

Enforcement teams from the traffic police and transport department were deployed at city borders and petrol pumps to ensure compliance. Vehicles carrying construction material were also barred from entering the capital during the curbs.

The Supreme Court added pressure by withdrawing protection against coercive action for BS-3 and older vehicles in Delhi, signalling little tolerance for non-compliance as pollution worsens.

Fuel denial to vehicles without PUC certificates

Another key measure involves tightening checks on emissions compliance. From Thursday, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control certificate will be denied fuel at petrol pumps across the capital, the environment minister said.

A PUC certificate is issued after a basic emissions test at authorised centres. The cost stands at ₹60 for two- and three-wheelers, ₹80 for four-wheelers, and ₹100 for diesel vehicles. For Bharat Stage IV and VI compliant vehicles, the certificate remains valid for twelve months.

Officials argue that the combined steps are aimed at quickly cutting vehicular emissions and reducing daily exposure to toxic air. Critics, however, say the curbs underline the failure of long-term planning, forcing Delhi into repeated emergency measures every winter as residents continue to breathe hazardous air.