POLLUTION

Delhi Government to Make PUC Certificate Compulsory for Fuel Filling in Near Future

File photo: Smog over the expressway in Delhi
(Rajesh Mehta/BCCL Delhi)

The Delhi government will soon make the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate mandatory for filling fuel at pumps to ensure that polluting vehicles do not ply in the national capital.

Environment Minister Gopal Rai said: "This is a very ambitious policy brought forth by the Arvind Kejriwal government. North India, including Delhi, faces serious air pollution, particularly in winter; with this policy in place, vehicles will be mandated to have their PUC certificate with them at the fuelling station. Thus, pollution levels of every single vehicle in the state will be kept in check from time to time."

"The policy will effectively help us ensure that polluting vehicles do not ply in Delhi and residents can enjoy cleaner air. The policy is being placed for public opinion and review before being notified," he added.

Pollution under control (PUC) certificate is essential for vehicles issued through registered PUC centres to control vehicular tailpipe emissions. Delhi has around 966 such centres spread over ten zones.

They are instrumental in monitoring vehicular pollution and certifying the fitness of vehicles as per emission norms. Pollution Level Test Inspectors also do random checks to ensure the PUC centres are issuing that accurate certificates.

As per department experience, PUCC enforcement is highly effective when conducted at fuel stations. Thus, it has been proposed to make PUC certification mandatory for refuelling of vehicles at Petrol Pumps in Delhi, given the importance of non-polluting vehicles on the road amidst the poor air quality levels of Delhi.

Along with the approval of the policy, the government is also working on setting up technology-based methods for effective implementation of this policy to ensure that vehicle owners and petrol pump owners don't face any inconvenience. There are no long queues for checking PUC certificates.

While the exact mechanisms are being worked out, these methods can also include technologies like RFID, the Delhi government said in a release.

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The above article has been published from a wire source with minimal modifications to the headline and text.

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