India, July 2 -- In a major policy shift to tackle seasonal air pollution, the Delhi government on Wednesday notified a permanent Winter Pollution Master Plan that will automatically come into force every year from November 1 to February 28. The framework introduces a series of recurring measures, including denial of fuel to vehicles without valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates, work-from-home norms, construction restrictions and stricter action against dust and waste burning. The notification, issued by the Environment and Forest Department, consolidates multiple winter pollution orders into a single permanent framework. It is based on past air quality data, the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and directions of the Supreme Court. Also Read - Delhi court reserves verdict in wrestlers' sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, "The new framework consolidates various existing orders into a single, clear and stringent system, making compliance easier for all concerned departments, institutions and citizens while ensuring more effective enforcement." One of the key provisions makes it mandatory for all vehicles to possess a valid PUC certificate to obtain petrol, diesel, CNG or LPG at fuel stations across Delhi throughout the year. Authorities will verify compliance through digital databases in addition to physical certificates. From November 1 to January 31, non-Delhi registered vehicles below BS-VI emission standards will not be allowed to enter the capital, except for exempted categories such as CNG and electric vehicles, ambulances, fire services and police vehicles. Also Read - Migration, duplicate addresses complicate SIR exercise in Delhi's unauthorised colonies, slums To reduce traffic congestion, authorised parking charges will be doubled during the winter period, while DMRC parking facilities will remain exempt. During the same period, only 50 per cent of employees in Delhi government and private offices will attend workplaces at a time, with the remaining staff working from home. Essential services, including healthcare, public transport, power, water supply and sanitation, will remain exempt. The government has also imposed an annual ban on demolition activities and dust-generating civil construction work from November 1 to January 31, while only essential public infrastructure projects will be permitted. Commercial buildings with a built-up area exceeding 3,000 square metres and construction sites larger than 1,000 square metres will be required to install anti-smog guns or mist systems. The notification also introduces institutional accountability for open burning of waste, leaves and biomass, making Resident Welfare Associations, housing societies and institutions responsible for preventing such incidents within their premises. Calling for public participation, Chief Minister Gupta said, "Making Delhi cleaner and healthier is not the responsibility of the Government alone but of every citizen." She added that the permanent framework would ensure all departments and citizens know in advance the pollution-control measures that will apply each winter.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.