The Delhi government on Tuesday said it will continue anti-pollution measures, including the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ policy, even after easing GRAP-IV restrictions. Addressing a press conference, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said authorities will not allow vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate to operate in the national capital. The minister said the government introduced the rule on December 18 as part of intensified efforts to curb rising pollution levels and will enforce it despite the relaxation of GRAP-IV norms. Authorities have suspended these centres and issued notices, he added.
Delhi to continue ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ policy even after GRAP-IV rollback: Manjinder Singh Sirsa
Sirsa also said the government will allocate ₹100 crore for the rejuvenation of water bodies across Delhi. He said inspections of PUC centres uncovered several non-functional facilities, while officials detected faulty equipment at 12 centres. Meanwhile, dense fog pushed Delhi’s air quality into the ‘severe’ category on Tuesday and disrupted flight and rail services. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 415 at 3 pm. Reduced visibility of 50 metres at Palam and Safdarjung delayed over 200 flights at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, while several trains ran behind schedule.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said temperatures will likely remain around a maximum of 22 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 9 degrees Celsius, adding that it has not issued any colour-coded weather warning for the capital. The IMD also said foggy conditions are expected to persist over the next few days. It forecast partly cloudy skies over the next 24 hours, mainly clear conditions for the following three days, and a return of clouds thereafter.
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