New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday announced a comprehensive Winter Action Plan to combat rising pollution during the winter season, with measures to be implemented from November 1 to February 28 under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, IANS reported.

Under the plan, vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards will not be allowed to enter the capital — the Chief Minister said the entry bar on below-BS-VI non-Delhi vehicles would run from November 1 to January 31 — and a 'No PUC, No Fuel' policy will be strictly enforced, under which vehicle owners cannot buy petrol, diesel, CNG or LPG without a valid Pollution Under Control certificate, IANS and The Daily Jagran reported.

The plan also restricts construction, demolition and the transport of construction material to control dust, with construction sites monitored through AI-enabled cameras from a government control and command centre, and brings in 50 per cent work from home and staggered office timings, The Daily Jagran reported. The government will promote public transport, including electric buses and the Metro, and improve last-mile connectivity and carpooling, IANS said.

Announcing the plan in a video message posted on X, Gupta said Delhi was acting early and firmly against winter pollution to secure the 'right to breathe', and appealed to residents to share responsibility, saying, in IANS's account: 'We will fulfil our responsibility together. Our Delhi, our responsibility.' The Hindu reported that the restrictions form part of winter pollution-control measures notified by the Delhi government in June this year, with the Winter Action Plan itself in force from November 1 to February 28.

Sources: IANS (via IANS Live), The Daily Jagran, The Hindu.