Vehicle owners without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) will be denied fuel at petrol pumps from Thursday, Delhi’s environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced on Tuesday, as the national capital continued to grapple with hazardous air quality.
The decision comes against the backdrop of the Air Quality Index (AQI) remaining in the “severe” category for three consecutive days before easing to “very poor” on Tuesday.
Of the total improper challans issued by on the ground police personnels in the month of September, 54,615 were for driving without a PUCC, forming 17%, as per the enforcement data cited by PTI news agency. The number reamined shockingly high in October too, when a total of 68,986 PUCC challans (23%) were issued.
Minister compares AQI trends with last year
Sirsa was addressing a press conference on the pressing issue of pollution in the capital, when he said, “The AQI today stands at 363, which falls under the severe category, and it has remained at this level for the past 10 years. On the same day last year, the AQI was 380, whereas today it is 363.
He further blamed the previous government for the failure, saying, “The AAP has given Delhi this problem over the last 10 years,” Sirsa was quoted as saying by PTI.
He added that the pollution crisis could not be reversed within months, “It is impossible for any elected government to reduce AQI in 9-10 months. I apologise for the pollution in Delhi. We are doing better work than the dishonest AAP government, and we have reduced AQI each day. This disease of pollution is given to us by the Aam Aadmi Party, and we are working to fix it,” according to news agency ANI.
The comments came as Delhi’s air quality improved marginally to the “very poor” category as fog intensity reduced and wind speed picked up. The 24-hour average AQI stood at 377 at 8am. While shallow fog was reported across the city, down from very dense fog a day earlier.
