Delhi govt to implement curbs on plying of BS3 and BS4 diesel vehicles

Delhi Transport Department has deployed as many as 120 enforcement teams to implement curbs on plying of BS3 and BS4 diesel four-wheelers in the city, along with the help of the city police. The move is aimed at curbing the city's worsening air pollution levels, due to which the Centre's air quality panel directed authorities in the National Capital Region to implement curbs such as a ban on construction and demolition activities as well as plying of vehicles that do not comply with emission norms.

The enforcement teams will check the vehicles by uploading their registration numbers in the Vahan database and checking their type and other specifics. "All the 120 enforcement teams are busy in implementing the various pollution-related measures," a transport department official said.

In a high-level meeting on Sunday, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai will discuss measures to be implemented under stage III of GRAP. The national capital's 24-hour average air quality index stood at 397 at 4 pm, the worst since January. It was 354 on Thursday, 271 on Wednesday, 302 on Tuesday and 312 on Monday during Diwali.

The government of the national capital had also planned a month-long campaign - ‘Red light on, Gaadi off’ - with an aim to cut down vehicular pollution in the city. However, due to a delay in approval from the LG, the campaign launch has been postponed.

In this campaign, volunteers encourage drivers to switch off their vehicles while waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Rai has earlier informed that 2,500 civil defence volunteers will be deployed this year to monitor the implementation of the campaign at 100 key traffic intersections. Another 10 volunteers will be deployed at each traffic signal in two shifts.

He had also informed that the major focus will be on 10 big traffic intersections in the city where 20 volunteers each will be stationed.