Delhi's Battle Against Pollution: Stricter Traffic Measures Implemented

Delhi Traffic Police enforced stricter checks on vehicles under GRAP Stage III to improve air quality. Non-essential diesel vehicles, particularly medium and light commercial vehicles with older standards, face entry bans. Schools must shift to hybrid learning for young students as part of comprehensive pollution control efforts.

The Delhi Traffic Police intensified vehicle checks on Monday to enforce new restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage III aimed at mitigating air pollution in the city. The stringent measures specifically target non-essential diesel-operated medium goods vehicles with outdated BS-IV or older standards, which are now banned from entering Delhi.

Likewise, light commercial diesel vehicles with BS-IV or older standards registered outside Delhi cannot enter the city. Previously, these restrictions were limited to BS-III vehicles. The measures, however, exempt persons with disabilities from restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars within Delhi and surrounding districts.

A senior police officer reported heightened checks across multiple locations in the capital, with barricades set up at over 10 entry points from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Concurrently, new education mandates require schools to adopt hybrid learning models for classes up to Class V to cope with persisting poor air quality, reflected by the city's Air Quality Index of 379.

(With inputs from agencies.)