No fuel for vehicles without valid PUC from Thursday: Delhi Environment Minister

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate will not be allowed to refuel at petrol pumps in the national capital from December 18. He said vehicle owners have been given one day to comply with the PUC norms. Cameras installed at petrol pumps will automatically identify vehicles without valid PUC certificates, and from Thursday, such vehicles will be denied fuel without any confrontation or disruption.

Delhi has already put in place automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras at petrol pumps and they will identify vehicles without valid PUC certificates, the minister added.

These new rules are being implemented to curb emissions and improve air quality, especially during winters, as part of emergency measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). But the move will bar 12 lakh (or 1.2 million) vehicles registered outside Delhi from entering the national capital.

According to the Environment Minister, only BS6 compliant vehicles from outside Delhi will be permitted to enter the capital while GRAP stages III and IV are in force - the anti-pollution measures triggered by poor air quality. Vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate will also be denied petrol or diesel at fuel stations across Delhi.

Meanwhile, the petrol pump owners are confused about the new measures and have requested a meeting with Sirsa regarding the issue of demanding PUC certificates before refueling, said sources.

According to sources, it would be impossible to refuel vehicles if they had to ask every vehicle owner for a PUC certificate. They also raised concerns about how they would handle potential conflicts and altercations that might arise from demanding PUC certificates.