Delhi borders face heavy traffic as anti-pollution rules begin
Commuters faced long queues at city entry points as air quality reached its worst level of the season on Sunday.
Heavy traffic congestion occurred at several Delhi entry points on Sunday, November 1, as new anti-pollution restrictions were implemented. According to the Hindustan Times, significant queues formed at the Delhi-Noida and Delhi-Gurugram borders while enforcement teams checked vehicles for compliance.
The city's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 261 on Sunday, marking the highest reading in 198 days and the worst of the current season. Of the 57 monitoring stations in the capital, 22 recorded very poor air quality and 21 recorded poor air quality, with Jahangirpuri reporting the highest AQI at 378.
The new winter measures, which run between November 1 and February 28, target vehicular emissions and dust. These rules involve banning outdoor construction that generates dust, doubling parking fees, and limiting physical office attendance to 50 per cent.
The restrictions also affect vehicles from outside Delhi that follow BS-IV or older emission standards. To enforce these rules, the Delhi transport department has deployed approximately 250 personnel across 13 major toll plazas, including DND, Ghazipur, and the Singhu border.
Commuters expressed frustration on social media regarding the bumper-to-bumper traffic. One commuter reported being stuck at a border for three hours, while others questioned if the measures would effectively improve the air quality.