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Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has urged the Chief Minister of the neighboring state, Uttar Pradesh, to halt the entry of BS3 petrol and BS4 diesel vehicles into the national capital as Delhi grapples with severe air pollution. Rai inspected the Anand Vihar bus depot as the air quality index in that area reached the ‘hazardous’ category .
He stated, “In Delhi, we have only electric buses and CNG buses, but BS3 and BS4 vehicles banned in Delhi are being sent to the Anand Vihar bus depot from UP. I appeal to the Uttar Pradesh government to cease sending such vehicles that emit excessive smoke. While we have suspended all construction activities in Delhi and prohibited BS3 and BS4 vehicles, these vehicles continue to enter from outside. I request Yogi to address this issue so that we can combat pollution stemming from vehicle emissions.”
Minister Rai also called on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to prevent the entry of such vehicles emitting toxic smoke.
He added, “The Delhi government is implementing various measures to mitigate pollution in the city, but we observed that Anand Vihar had the highest AQI since morning. Therefore, I came here tonight to understand the reasons behind it.”
As air quality in various parts of Delhi-NCR deteriorated to ‘severe’ levels, residents reported difficulties in breathing and eye irritation.
In response, the Delhi government has imposed a ban on BS3 petrol and BS4 diesel vehicles operating in the city until further notice due to the worsening air quality. Violators could face a fine of ₹20,000 if such vehicles are found on Delhi’s streets.
These restrictions are part of stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and were put into effect as the air quality index in Delhi reached ‘hazardous’ levels.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked the third stage of the GRAP on Thursday, following a meeting of the sub-committee under the GRAP held in the national capital.
The sub-committee assessed the air quality situation in the region and considered forecasts for meteorological conditions and air quality index provided by IMD and IITM.
