Ban on Old Vehicles, Work From Home, Fines Up to ₹20,000: Full List of Anti-Pollution Curbs in Delhi From Today

Delhi government has, while air pollution level reached a very bad situation and the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) went down to the worst category, started implementing a new series of very strict anti-pollution measures from Thursday, December 18. Besides the GRAP-4 measures which the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) put into place after the city recorded severe air quality for three days in a row, these steps are also taken.

The new restrictions mainly deal with the reduction of vehicular emissions, restriction of people's movement in offices, and increased monitoring of polluting activities in the entire national capital.

Work From Home Made Mandatory for Offices

Delhi Labour Minister Kapil Mishra announced that both government and private offices must shift to a work-from-home (WFH) model with immediate effect.

• Offices can function only in partial physical mode
• No more than 50% staff are allowed to attend offices physically
• Remaining employees must work from home compulsorily

WFH Exemptions

The order does not apply to:

• Hospitals and healthcare services
• Fire services and emergency responders
• Departments involved in pollution control
• Transport, sanitation and other essential services

Construction Halt: Workers to Get ₹10,000 Compensation

All construction activities have been suspended under GRAP-4 norms. The Delhi government has announced a ₹10,000 compensation for construction workers affected by the ban.

• Compensation will cover the entire GRAP-4 period
• Registration of eligible workers is currently underway
• PUC Certificate Mandatory, Fines Up to ₹20,000

To curb vehicular pollution, the Delhi government has intensified enforcement against vehicles without valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said:

Vehicles without valid PUC certificates will not be given fuel at petrol pumps

Violations can attract fines of up to ₹20,000

PUC Certificate Cost

• Two- and three-wheelers: ₹60
• Four-wheelers (petrol/CNG): ₹80
• Diesel vehicles: ₹100

For BS-IV and BS-VI vehicles, the PUC certificate remains valid for 12 months.

To ensure strict enforcement:

• 126 checkpoints have been set up across Delhi
• Over 537 police personnel will be deployed at petrol pumps
• Ban on Vehicles Carrying Construction Material

The Delhi government has also barred vehicles carrying construction material from entering the city until pollution levels improve.

Non-BS6 Vehicles Barred From Entering Delhi

All vehicles below BS-6 emission standards and registered outside Delhi will be prohibited from entering the capital while GRAP-3 and GRAP-4 restrictions remain in force.

The ban comes into effect from Thursday

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court lifted protection against coercive action for BS-3 and older vehicles

Special enforcement teams from the Delhi Traffic Police and the Transport Department have been deployed at city borders and petrol pumps to ensure compliance.

Why These Measures Matter

Officials are anticipating that the restriction of entry to only BS-6 certified cars will affect around 1.2 million vehicles coming from Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, and Noida daily to Delhi, thus resulting in a big cut down in dirt and smoke emissions.