Non-BS VI cars from outside can’t enter Delhi from today: What’s allowed, what isn’t

What all remains banned across Delhi?

Vehicular movement

1. All privately owned non-city, non-BS (Bharat Stage) VI vehicles will be restricted from entering Delhi starting Thursday. This order aims to tackle the burden of vehicular pollution in the Capital.

According to a report in The Indian Express, 37 per cent of vehicles in Delhi-NCR were heavily polluting, compliant only with the outdated Bharat Stage (BS) I, BS II, and BS III emission norms.

Therefore, if your BS-IV car has a Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, or Faridabad number, you cannot drive it to work in Delhi, beginning today.

2. Those vehicles which do not possess a valid pollution under control certificate (PUCC) will not be allowed to buy petrol and diesel at fuel pumps in Delhi.

All petrol, diesel and CNG pump dealers have been ordered to dispense or sell fuel only after the driver produces a valid PUCC for the vehicle.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition and on‑ground checks will be conducted to verify the PUCC status and emissions (BS) category of vehicles. In this view, Delhi’s Environment Minister has urged citizens not to argue with enforcement officials at fuel stations and borders if their vehicles were found to be non‑compliant.

3. The ban on entry of non-BS VI commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses is already in place in Delhi, owing to “very poor” air quality. However, trucks running on LNG, CNG, electricity or BS-VI diesel are permitted to enter the city.

4. Under GRAP III and GRAP IV implemented in Delhi, BS‑III petrol and BS‑IV diesel vehicles are not allowed on Delhi’s roads. Movement of older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles has been banned, with exemptions strictly for vehicles providing essential services.

5. Delhi‑registered diesel-run Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs) of BS‑IV or below are also not allowed, unless they are ferrying essential commodities.

6. Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) which are registered outside Delhi are also barred from entering the capital, unless they are electric vehicles, CNG-powered or BS-VI diesel vehicles. These vehicles are also allowed only if engaged in essential services or carrying essential goods.

Cooking appliances

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) last week issued directions to ban tandoors using coal and firewood across hotels, restaurants and eateries in the city.

The outlets have been asked to switch to electric, gas-based or other clean-fuel appliances instead of tandoors.

This restriction was implemented as part of GRAP IV, which prohibits open burning of biomass, waste, or similar materials.

Private and govt offices

From Thursday, all government and private institutions in Delhi will mandatorily switch to ‘work from home’ for 50 per cent of their employees.

Public and private healthcare facilities, fire services, public transport, the prison department, and some other necessary services have been exempted from this order.

The Delhi government has also appealed to offices to make working hours flexible and to promote carpooling among employees, according to The Indian Express reports.

Construction ban

According to earlier reports, all construction and demolition (C&D) activities remain suspended across Delhi-NCR under Stage IV.

Under this, not only private construction but also linear public infrastructure projects, such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, pipelines, power transmission lines and telecom works, will remain halted.

Other actions taken by Delhi govt to curb pollution — one sector at a time

1. To curb pollution across sectors in Delhi, Sirsa announced that legacy waste biomining at Delhi’s three landfill sites had been scaled up from 20,000 MT per day to 35,000 MT per day.

2. Online Emissions Monitoring Systems have been installed in 280 industrial units across sectors, he said. An extensive survey was underway to identify industries that do not fall under any regulatory category, and 824 such industries had already been identified and enforcement action initiated, he said.

3. To beef up the public transport system and make it cleaner, 3,427 electric buses have been inducted so far, Sirsa said. A target of inducting 7500 e-buses has been set for December 2026, he added.

4. Strict action has been taken against diesel generators, and the installation of catalytic converters has been mandated.

5. The government has already distributed 10,000 electric heaters to night security guards to ensure they did not resort to burning wood or biomass for warmth.

6. About 45 acres of land had been reclaimed and was being converted into plantation and dense urban forests.