Delhi announces vehicle curbs, work from home, construction ban due to winter pollution

As the Southwest Monsoon recedes and Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) braces for a spike in winter pollution, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav chaired a meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Delhi Environment Minister Maninder Sirsa and Permanent Air Quality Management Officer of the Air Quality Management Commission on Monday (September 28, 2026). solution to winter pollution here.

Delhi will restrict the entry of vehicles registered outside the capital that do not meet BS-VI emission norms from November 1, while government and private offices will have to work from home during the winter pollution season, a plan announced on Monday (Sep 28, 2026) said. These measures were also implemented in 2024 and 2025.

In terms of vehicular pollution, the ‘No PUCC (Pollution Under Control Certificate), No Fuel’ campaign (where those without a pollution certificate will be denied fuel) will cover all 500 petrol stations equipped with authorized number plate registration. The system has detected about 7,055 end-of-life BS-III and above vehicles in the last 12 months, the presentation said.

The restrictions will remain in place from 1 November 2026 to 31 January 2027. Parking charges at authorized car parks will be doubled, except at facilities owned and managed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, with staggered working hours. Municipal Corporation of Delhi offices will function from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and Delhi government offices from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm, according to a presentation made by Air Quality Management Commission officials at a press conference on Monday (September 28, 2026).

The plan also envisages a complete ban on construction and demolition activities from December 10, 2026 to January 20, 2027, while dust-generating demolitions and outdoor civil construction will be banned from November 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027. “To clarify hotspot-specific targets,” Bhu said, for improving air quality, coordinated air enforcement and continuous enforcement of citizens’ social security. media platform X.

Delhi has set a target of rebuilding 3,065 km of roads by 2026, compared to an annual average of about 1,000 km in the previous three years. Of this, 1,193 km were completed by September 20, and 1,872 km remain unfinished. The cement concrete work is to be completed by October 31st and the bituminous work by November 15th.

The presentation said that Delhi generates about 13,500 tonnes of solid waste per day, against 7,642 tonnes that is processed, and fresh waste processing capacity is expected to reach 5,900 tonnes per day by October. The number of mechanized sweepers increased to 98 from 76 in 2025.

“The goal should be clean air all year round, and this is based on continuous measures in transport, industry, construction, waste management and crop residues – planned not only in Delhi but across the region,” Hisham Mundol, senior adviser at the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund, India, told The Hindu.

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Industrial enforcement will be strengthened through an artificial intelligence command and control center; 60 continuous air quality monitoring stations, compared to 47; and 334 enforcement teams. The presentation said that between December 2025 and September 26, 2026, 11,271 industrial units were investigated, with 2,283 polluting units closed or sealed.

The plan also calls for weekly hotspot inspections, citizen reporting on local pollution issues, a new portal for citizen suggestions, daily evening AQI (Air Quality Index) bulletins and coordinated action with NCR cities on access to air navigation.

CMO statement

The Delhi Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said on Monday that vehicles that have completed their prescribed lifespan – 15 years for petrol vehicles and 10 years for diesel vehicles – will not be refueled at petrol stations, but did not specify when this would be implemented.

Earlier in June, the Delhi government had announced a “Proactive Winter Air Quality Management Framework” outlining measures that can be taken if pollution levels rise between November and February, according to the CMO. Under the framework, fuel will be provided only to vehicles with a valid PUCC during the winter months at all petrol stations in Delhi. Also, non-BS-VI compliant commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi will not be allowed to enter the city between November 1 and January 31. CNG vehicles, electric vehicles, emergency services vehicles and vehicles engaged in government services will be exempted from this restriction, the CMO said.

“A special awareness and enforcement campaign will begin at all 500 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) petrol pumps in Delhi from October 1. Vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control certificate and those that have completed their prescribed life will not be supplied with fuel,” the Delhi CMO said on Monday.

(Contributed by Nikhil M. Babu, New Delhi)

Published – 28 Sep 2026 18:23 IST