Delhi Minister Sirsa Urges NCR Residents to Keep Polluting Vehicles Off Roads as AQI Worsens

New Delhi, October 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Friday urged residents across the National Capital Region (NCR) to keep polluting vehicles off the roads as air quality deteriorated ahead of winter, warning that worsening weather conditions could further aggravate pollution levels.

Sirsa said Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was hovering around 250, with Stage I restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in force. He expressed concern that pollution levels had not improved significantly despite the measures, while foggy conditions were raising the possibility of smog formation.

Appealing to residents to cooperate with the government’s pollution-control efforts, the minister specifically urged two-wheeler owners to ensure their vehicles had valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates.

He said disputes had been reported at petrol pumps involving two-wheelers without valid PUC certificates and cautioned that polluting vehicles could worsen air quality and increase health risks.

The Delhi government has proposed a ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ policy under which vehicles without valid pollution certificates would be denied fuel. From November 1, non-Delhi-registered vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission standards are also scheduled to face entry restrictions, subject to applicable exemptions.

Sirsa said he had spoken to the Delhi Traffic Police Commissioner and sought immediate action against heavy vehicles operating in the capital in violation of GRAP Stage I restrictions.

Meanwhile, several air-quality monitoring stations across Delhi recorded readings in the ‘poor’ category on Friday. The AQI stood at 289 at Pusa, 275 in Punjabi Bagh, 274 at Sirifort and 263 at Mandir Marg, among other locations.

Delhi recorded its first ‘poor’ air-quality day of the season on October 21, when the AQI reached 245, its highest level in around 100 days. The deterioration followed Dussehra celebrations and coincided with reports of stubble burning in neighbouring Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.