Delhi pollution watchdog removes vehicle exemptions in updated rules

Older goods vehicles carrying essential items will no longer get exemptions from curbs during the two strictest stages of Delhi-NCR's pollution-control plan. The Commission for Air Quality Management has taken away this relief for BS-IV and older vehicles under Stages III and IV of the Graded Response Action Plan.

Updated Rules

This change comes from a revised schedule approved by the full commission at a meeting on Monday. The new rules remove exemptions for light and medium goods vehicles at Stage III, and for trucks and heavy goods vehicles at Stage IV. An official stated that these restrictions were previously issued through separate orders last year, but now they form a formal part of the main plan so state governments can easily follow them. The revised schedule contains 48 total actions across four stages, with 25 actions under Stage I, eight under Stage II, 10 under Stage III, and five under Stage IV.

More Changes

Rules on diesel generator sets and the entry of older buses from nearby states have moved from Stage II to Stage I so they start earlier. Curbs on certain older four-wheelers now also apply in Sonipat, joining Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar. The commission also extended web-portal registration and monitoring for dust control to eligible construction sites outside municipal limits, keeping the plot area threshold at 500 square metres. Additionally, authorities reviewed plantation targets for 2026-27, noting that Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan exceeded their goals, while Haryana met half by planting six million saplings out of a target of 12 million.

Context

The Graded Response Action Plan is a set of emergency measures implemented step-by-step in the National Capital Region as air quality worsens during winter months. These steps include restricting vehicular traffic, halting certain construction activities, and controlling dust to prevent severe pollution spikes.