NEW DELHI, DEC 18 (UNI) Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday carried out surprise inspections at several petrol pumps across the national capital to assess the enforcement of the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ policy, officials said.
According to official data, a sharp rise has been recorded in the number of PUCCs (polution under control certificates) issued following intensified enforcement.
On December 17, a total of 29,938 PUCCs were issued in Delhi, while another 31,974 certificates were issued by 5:20 pm on December 18, taking the total to over 61,000 in roughly a day. The government expects the surge to continue as more vehicle owners obtain valid certificates before refuelling.
Enforcement data showed that in the past 24 hours, 3,746 vehicles were challaned in Delhi for not possessing a valid PUCC. On the first day of intensified checks, joint teams of the Delhi Traffic Police and the Transport Department checked vehicles at border points and turned back 568 non-compliant or non-destined vehicles.
Officials also shared figures on other pollution-control measures undertaken in the past 24 hours. These include mechanical sweeping of around 2,300 km of city roads, deployment of mobile anti-smog guns over approximately 5,524 km of road length, identification and closure of 132 illegal dumping sites, diversion of 217 non-destined trucks via the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways, challaning of 265 BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel light motor vehicles in Delhi and NCR districts, and processing and disposal of about 38,019 metric tonnes of legacy waste at landfill sites.
During the inspections at petrol pumps near the Delhi-Gurugram border and at Janpath, Sirsa interacted with pump staff and commuters, reviewing compliance with the mandatory requirement of a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) for refuelling.
He directed staff to enforce the rule firmly while maintaining calm, courtesy and full cooperation with vehicle owners.
The minister also instructed petrol pump operators to ensure clear signage, regular public announcements and proper queue management to avoid inconvenience. Addressing commuters at the sites, Sirsa said the campaign was aimed at improving air quality rather than penalising motorists, urging vehicle owners to keep their PUCCs updated.
Sirsa also inspected nearby PUCC centres, checked maintenance records and said the government would continuously monitor their functioning and address any operational bottlenecks to ensure smooth issuance of certificates.
Separately, Sirsa chaired meetings to review an algae-based air pollution mitigation system proposed for deployment in crowded areas, and a presentation by the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG) on the use of advanced GIS tools for pollution mitigation and integrated road development planning in the national capital.
The minister also flagged that despite clear advisories under GRAP-IV, some private offices were yet to implement at least 50 per cent work-from-home for staff to reduce traffic congestion and vehicular emissions.
He directed such establishments to comply immediately, warning that non-compliance could invite action from enforcement agencies, officials said.
