NEW DELHI: From November 1, all commercial goods vehicles registered outside Delhi that fail to meet BS-VI emission standards will be barred from entering the capital as part of fresh anti-pollution measures approved by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
The Delhi Transport Department, in a public notice, said that only BS-VI-compliant diesel vehicles and those powered by CNG, LNG, or electricity will be allowed entry.
The curbs, aimed at reducing vehicular emissions—one of the main sources of pollution during Delhi’s winter months—will apply to all categories of light, medium, and heavy goods vehicles. Vehicles registered within Delhi and meeting the BS-VI standards will remain exempt.
Authorities have also announced a series of enforcement steps to ensure compliance. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras will be deployed at 126 border entry points connecting Delhi with neighbouring states.
Additionally, 48 enforcement teams have been constituted by the Transport Department to monitor entry routes and impound vehicles violating the order.
The restrictions under various stages of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) will continue to remain applicable, depending on the severity of air pollution. The CAQM’s decision, taken at a meeting on October 17, is part of a broader effort to improve Delhi’s air quality ahead of the pollution-heavy winter season.
Delhi’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category on Monday with a 24-hour average AQI of 301 even as the weather department forecast a partly cloudy with chances of very light rain towards the evening.
As per the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app, localities such as Bawana and Anand Vihar recorded severe air quality with Air Quality Index (AQI) readings of 401 and 431, respectively.
