Upload clear videos or action will be taken, Delhi govt warns PUC centres

In the order issued to all pollution control officers and the centres, the Transport department stated, “…During inspections of various PUC centres, it has been routinely observed that the video clips of vehicle emission testing are not being uploaded in the prescribed format on the VAHAN portal by a few PUC centres.”

The order has warned, “Non-compliance with the above instructions shall be viewed seriously, and strict action will be initiated against the defaulting PUC Centres…”

Noting that the emissions released from vehicles “are one of the top contributors to foul air in Delhi,” a senior Transport department official said that the latest exercise aims to ensure that the department “can keep a track and closely monitor the PUCC exercise”.

Currently, there are 919 authorised PUC centres in the Capital. These are located in regional transport offices, DTC depots and petrol pumps. The vehicles are required to get their vehicles checked at regular intervals. PUCCs cost between Rs 60 and Rs 100 but not having one results in a fine of Rs 10,000.

As part of air pollution control measures, the Delhi government last month had also directed all the petrol pumps to provide fuel to vehicles on production of a valid PUCC. Data shows that 12,387 vehicle defaulters were found in January till date.

As per a comprehensive study on air pollution and greenhouse gases 2015 conducted by IIT Kanpur, vehicles contribute about 19.7% of PM10 and 25.1% of PM2.5 in winters and about 6.4% to PM10 and 8.5% to PM2.5 in summers.

Further, vehicles contribute to about 18% of CH4 emissions, 92% of N20 emissions and 30% of CO2 emissions in the city, based on annual emissions data, and are also among the top four contributors CO2e emission with a contribution of 32%, based on annual emissions.