Delhi air quality worsens as authorities impose fines under Winter Action Plan
The city's average AQI rose to 377 as officials collected over Rs 68 lakh in penalties on the first day of new rules.
Delhi's air quality deteriorated sharply as the average Air Quality Index (AQI) rose from 350 on Tuesday to 377 on Wednesday, according to a report by Live Hindustan – NCR. The number of monitoring areas recording an AQI above 400 doubled from 10 to 22 in a single day, with the ITI area reaching 455 at 6 pm.
On the first day of the Winter Action Plan on Sunday, November 1, government authorities collected Rs 68.4 lakh in fines and environmental compensation, WION reported. This included Rs 56.6 lakh for Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) violations, Rs 9.8 lakh for construction and demolition offences, and Rs 2 lakh for border entry violations.
The Delhi Traffic Police and Transport Department checked 14,930 non-Delhi pre-BS-VI vehicles, turning back 10.31 per cent of them. Under the new rules, vehicles that do not meet Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission standards are barred from entering the capital until January 31, 2027, though BS-VI-compliant vehicles registered outside Delhi and electric or CNG vehicles are exempt.
Pollution sources remain diverse, with vehicle emissions accounting for 18 per cent and stubble burning contributing 15.6 per cent of pollution on Wednesday. The Live Hindustan – NCR report noted that approximately 65 per cent of total PM2.5 reaching Delhi comes from outside the city.
Weather assessments suggest air quality could deteriorate to the severe category on November 6 and 7. Clear skies are expected for the next four days, with temperatures ranging between 15 and 29 degrees Celsius.
