Delhi's drive against polluting vehicles at its borders has grown into one of the largest enforcement actions of this winter. According to data shared by the Delhi Traffic Police, enforcement teams checked 73,877 vehicles between November 1 and November 9 and turned back 16,827 of them — an average of nearly 1,870 vehicles a day — because they did not meet the BS-VI emission standard required to enter the capital.

Source: Fact (Delhi Traffic Police data)

Another 696 vehicles were issued challans for violating the entry restrictions and 52 vehicles were impounded. The penalties and environmental compensation imposed on those vehicles amounted to more than Rs 1.39 crore. Separately, authorities generated fines of about Rs 7.50 crore against vehicles that failed to comply with mandatory Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) requirements during the same period.

Source: The Times of India

73,877vehicles checked, Nov 1-9
16,827vehicles turned back at borders
696challans issued
52vehicles impounded

The category-wise break-up of the entry-restriction fines included Rs 76.4 lakh from private cars, Rs 19.4 lakh from medium and heavy goods vehicles, Rs 27.6 lakh from other vehicles, Rs 15.2 lakh from light commercial vehicles and Rs 60,000 from buses, according to the reported official data. Light commercial vehicles accounted for the highest number of violations.

The restrictions, which came into effect on November 1 and will remain in force until January 31, prohibit vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards from entering the city. The drive is part of Delhi's winter action plan under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and involves the traffic police, the transport department, the food supplies and consumer affairs department, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and other agencies.

The nine-day tally marks a steep rise from the opening day of the restrictions, when 1,539 vehicles were turned back and Rs 68.4 lakh in fines and compensation was imposed. Read: Day 1 of Delhi's winter pollution plan

The enforcement push comes as Delhi's air quality remains in the 'very poor' category after Diwali. The Central Pollution Control Board recorded an overall Air Quality Index of 307 at 7 am on Tuesday, with Chandni Chowk the worst at 395, followed by Punjabi Bagh at 355 and Aya Nagar at 354. The India Meteorological Department recorded a morning temperature of 17.0 degrees Celsius with moderate fog, forecast to persist for the next five days.