Delhi air pollution: Govt urges UP, Haryana, Rajasthan to restrict plying diesel buses to capital

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday sent letters to the transport ministers of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, urging them to prevent diesel buses from their states from entering the national capital due to the GRAP II restrictions in effect.

With Delhi’s air quality worsening, the second stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) came into force from 8:00 AM.

Rai announced several measures, including increased water sprinkling to control road dust, the use of dust suppressants, and deploying additional traffic personnel to reduce congestion, among others.

In his letters, Rai highlighted that vehicular emissions, particularly from the large number of diesel buses entering Delhi from these states, are a major contributor to air pollution.

“The impact of diesel emissions on air quality is well known, and the influx of such buses greatly worsens air quality in Delhi, posing significant health risks to residents,” he said.

Delhi is already struggling with poor air quality, and the additional pollution from interstate traffic is exacerbating the issue, he noted.

“In light of this, I respectfully request your office to consider limiting the entry of diesel buses into Delhi or implementing stricter emission controls,” Rai added.

The minister proposed working together on implementing more effective solutions, such as transitioning to CNG or electric buses for interstate transport, along with strict enforcement of emission standards.

He stressed that proactive measures would help reduce pollution and create a cleaner, healthier environment in the national capital.

(With inputs from PTI)