With the Delhi government on Thursday stepping up checks for BS-VI compliance, 289 challans were issued to vehicles at the city’s borders by the Delhi Traffic Police for flouting norms.
The traffic police said that 2,768 vehicles were checked at the borders, including Kapashera in Southwest Delhi, Badarpur, and entry points from Noida and Gurgaon. Overall, 460 vehicles were ordered to return from the borders after being found non-compliant with BS-VI norms.
On Wednesday, the traffic police had issued 363 challans against light motor vehicles for flouting BS-VI norms, while Delhi Transport department issued an additional 34 challans in such cases, taking the total to 397.
The traffic police has deployed 210 enforcement teams for the drive, along with 84 teams of the Transport department, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a statement. A senior police officer said no vehicle was seized during Thursday drive at the borders.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, meanwhile, said on Thursday that over 3,700 vehicles were challaned under the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ drive within 24 hours.
On Wednesday, the inaugural day of the drive, 2,743 challans were issued to vehicles across the Capital by the traffic police, including at borders, for not having a valid pollution under control certificate (PUCC), police said.
Additionally, while the Transport department issued 316 challans, 687 were issued through the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, with the total coming to 3,746.
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The western range of Delhi saw the highest number of PUCC challans – at 721 – issued on Wednesday. At 292, New Delhi region was issued the lowest number of challans, as per official data.
The enforcement action coincided with a sharp surge in demand for PUCCs, with more than 61,000 certificates issued between December 17 and 18, indicating increased compliance after the launch of the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule.
“We will continue the drive with a special focus on the border areas. Teams would be deployed round-the-clock to ensure compliance at night as well,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) D K Gupta said.
The CMO, meanwhile, said, “As part of focused efforts to curb road dust, 397 anti-smog guns have been deployed at various locations, while 276 water sprinklers have been installed to suppress dust from roads and open stretches.”
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The statement added that under the government’s mechanical cleaning initiative, 73 mechanical road sweeping machines have been deployed. “Through these machines, mechanical sweeping has been carried out on roads covering over 2,177.2 km, significantly contributing to the reduction of road dust levels,” the CMO said.
Sophiya Mathew is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She joined the Delhi bureau in 2024, and has specialization in Integrated Multimedia Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai.
Professional Background
Core Beats: Her reporting is primarily focused on the Environment and Education.
Specialization: She has gained recognition for her ground-level reporting on the Yamuna floodplains and the socio-economic challenges faced by those living on its banks. She also focuses on the disparities in Delhi's education system, ranging from elite private schools to government institutions and refugee education.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
Her recent work has been heavily centered on Delhi's severe winter pollution crisis and the government's regulatory responses:
1. The Air Pollution Crisis
"A tale of two cities: Delhi govt schools choke in bad air, private classrooms set up air filters" (Dec 20, 2025): A high-impact feature contrasting the "Clean Air Bubbles" in elite schools with the reality of government school students who are exposed to an equivalent of 17 cigarettes a day due to outdoor exposure.
"Delhi sees season's worst air day, second worst December AQI in nearly a decade" (Dec 15, 2025): An analytical report on the meteorological patterns trapping pollutants in the NCR.
"Delhi bans non-BS VI vehicles from outside: Why curbing vehicular pollution is key" (Dec 17, 2025): Explaining the science behind targeting specific vehicle vintages to lower particulate matter.
2. Enforcement & Regulations
"No fuel at pumps in Delhi without valid PUC certificate from December 18" (Dec 17, 2025): Breaking the news on the environment ministry's strict "No PUC, No Fuel" policy.
3. Education Policy
"Law to regulate school fee in Delhi risks becoming procedural, say parents" (Dec 13, 2025): Investigating the loopholes in the new Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025.
"Monsoon Session: Private school fee regulation Bill cleared after four-hour debate" (Aug 9, 2025): Covering the legislative passage of the controversial fee hike regulation.
Signature Style
Sophiya is known for her observational depth. Her reporting often includes vivid details from school corridors, hospital waitlists, or the banks of the Yamuna to illustrate how policy failures affect the city's most vulnerable residents. She is a frequent expert guest on the 3 Things podcast, where she explains the complexities of Delhi’s environmental laws.
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