Vehicle owners in the national capital will now have to produce a valid pollution under certificate to get fuel at filling stations from October 25.
In a bid to check the pollution levels in Delhi, the AAP government has directed that petrol and diesel will not be provided at fuel pumps without a valid PUC certificate from October 25.
Petrol pump owners and their staff have expressed apprehension that they would face difficulty dealing with customers and have asked for civil defence volunteers and cops to be deployed for dealing with people who may insist on getting their tanks filled, reported Times of India.
Environment Minister Gopal Rai said a notification in this regard will also be issued soon and the modalities of the plan will become clear in a week's time.
According to the Delhi Transport Department, over 17 lakh vehicles, including 13 lakh two-wheelers and three lakh cars, were plying without valid PUC certificates till July 2022.
If caught without a valid PUC certificate, vehicle owners may face imprisonment up to six months or fine up to Rs 10,000 or both as per the Motor Vehicles Act.
The minister said all government departments have also been advised to get PUC certificates of their vehicles checked.
What is PUC certificate?
The PUC certificate validates that the emissions from a vehicle are under the pollution norms set by the government. It evaluates the percentage of carbon emissions that your car/motorcycle may contribute to the environment. The certificate shows that the emissions are in order and do not harm the environment. To obtain the PUC certificate, the vehicle has to undergo a test that evaluates the vehicle’s emission levels and checks whether it follows the pollution norms or not.
How to get a PUC certificate?
Step 1: Take your car to the nearest emission testing centre
Step 2: The operator will inspect the exhaust pipe and check the emission levels of your car.
Step 3: Pay the fee of Rs 61-100 as requested by the operator.
Rai said the Delhi government will launch its 24x7 war room on October 3 to combat pollution and ensure effective and serious implementation of the winter action plan and the amended Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) -- a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in the capital and its vicinity according to the severity of the situation.
Under the revised GRAP, curbs can be imposed on polluting activities for up to three days in advance based on forecasts.
Earlier, authorities would implement the measures only after the concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 touched a particular threshold.
This time, restrictions will be based on Air Quality Index (AQI) values rather than PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations.
In Delhi, a 15-point action plan has been prepared against pollution, which will be implemented with strictness, and all departments have been directed to remain prepared on alert mode for the same, the minister said.
