Stricter PUC norms, construction ban, staggered office hours: Delhi’s plan to curb winter pollution

Curbs on construction, vehicles and private transport, stricter norms on PUC certificate to avail fuel, staggered office timings are part of a series of measures announced ahead of winter to combat pollution in the national capital.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday announced that dust-generating demolition and outdoor civil construction activities will be prohibited from November 1 to January 31, while a complete ban on construction and demolition activities will be imposed from December 10 to January 20.

Parking charges will be doubled from November 1, while office timings will be staggered and 50 per cent work from home will be implemented, he said.

Registered vehicles from outside Delhi with emission standards below BS-VI will be completely prohibited from entering the city from November 1, while electric vehicles will not face any additional parking charges, Sirsa said.

The measures were announced after an “action-based planning” meeting on reducing pollution in Delhi and the NCR under the chairmanship of Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, PWD Minister Parvesh Verma and Sirsa attending.

The “No Fuel, No PUCC, No Fuel” rule will be strengthened and implemented in mission mode, Sirsa said. A strict campaign against end-of-life vehicles will be carried out at all 500 ANPR(automatic number plate recognition)-equipped petrol pumps in Delhi.

“Providing clean air and a healthy environment to the residents of Delhi is our responsibility, and this responsibility is not limited to any one season. The Delhi government is continuously working in a technical and scientific manner, 365 days a year, 24×7, for pollution control,” Sirsa said in a social media post on X.

A public awareness campaign will be conducted in October, while PUC centres will be upgraded in November, he said.

The fitness of ANPR cameras will also be checked again to ensure their proper functioning, while around 2.5 lakh vehicles will undergo fitness checks through three automated testing stations. Another fitness centre will also be made operational soon, Sirsa said.

Delhi currently has 5,088 electric buses and another 150 buses will be added to strengthen public transport and last-mile connectivity, he said.

The government is also working on AQI and traffic-congestion hotspots. Ministers, MPs, MLAs and other public representatives, including the CM Gupta and Bhupender Yadav. will visit the hotspots, Sirsa said.

He said activities within a 3-km radius of pollution hotspots, including crematoriums, dumping sites and cement-lifting sites, were being identified through meetings with district magistrates.

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Of the 62 pollution hotspots identified earlier, 42 have so far been brought under control, he said.

The government had targeted the redevelopment of 3,065 km of roads in 2026, of which 1,193 km have been completed by September 20. The remaining 1,872 km will also be completed, Sirsa said.

The government has started deep cleaning of roads every 15 days to remove soil and dust, while teams have also been formed to prevent garbage burning. Sirsa said 98 mechanical road sweepers are currently operational and work orders for the remaining sweepers have been issued.

Under the zero-burning initiative, temporary “heating spots” equipped with heaters will be created to discourage people from burning biomass, wood or coal for warmth during winter.

Sirsa said the government would also promote carpooling among Delhi residents and office-goers to help reduce pollution and traffic congestion.