Delhi-Haryana border traffic jams as new pollution curbs begin
Vehicles queued for emission checks on Sunday as Delhi implemented special winter anti-pollution measures.
New winter anti-pollution restrictions in Delhi caused heavy traffic congestion at the national capital's borders on Sunday, according to a report by Mint. Long queues of vehicles formed at entry points, including the Delhi-Noida and Delhi-Gurugram borders, as enforcement personnel conducted emission checks.
The congestion occurred as Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) rose to 261, falling into the 'poor' category. This is the highest reading in 198 days. Jahangirpuri recorded the highest AQI at 378, while 22 of the city's 57 monitoring stations reported 'very poor' air quality.
The restrictions, which run between November 1 and February 28, include a ban on dust-generating outdoor construction and a cap on physical attendance at government and private offices at 50 per cent. Additionally, parking charges at authorised lots have doubled.
To enforce these rules, the Delhi transport department has deployed approximately 250 personnel. There are 39 teams stationed across 13 major toll plazas, such as Rajokri on NH-48, Singhu, and Badarpur, to identify violating vehicles using automatic number plate recognition cameras.
On Sunday, transport emissions accounted for 16.4 per cent of Delhi's pollution contribution. The Air Quality Early Warning System has forecast that air quality in the city is likely to remain in the 'poor' to 'very poor' categories over the coming days.