No Fuel Without PUC, WFH Mandate: Delhi Rolls Out Toughest GRAP-IV Anti-Pollution Measures

No Fuel Without PUC, WFH Mandate: Delhi Rolls Out Toughest GRAP-IV Anti-Pollution Measures

All construction and demolition activities have been suspended, and trucks carrying construction material are barred from entering the city.

RMN News Environment Desk
New Delhi | December 18, 2025

The Delhi government has rolled out a stringent new set of anti-pollution measures under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as severe air quality is expected to persist until at least December 27. These tough restrictions aim to combat pollution originating from four major sources: vehicles, industries, dust, and solid waste.

Key Restrictions Under GRAP-IV

The comprehensive measures, which came into effect immediately, include critical mandates for both private citizens and workplaces:

1. Fuel Denial Without PUC: Vehicles will be denied refueling at petrol pumps if they do not possess a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. This restriction was implemented from Thursday.
2. Work-From-Home (WFH) Mandate: Both government and private offices within the NCT are mandated to operate with 50% of staff working from home starting Thursday. Essential services, such as hospitals, utilities, transport, enforcement, and disaster services, are exempt from this requirement.
3. External Vehicle Ban: Non-BS VI private vehicles registered outside Delhi are barred from entering the city while GRAP-IV remains in effect. An earlier directive had caused confusion, leading the government to clarify that this restriction only applies during the Stage IV period to prevent “massive disruption” if enforced beyond that stage.
4. Construction Halt: All construction and demolition activities have been suspended, and trucks carrying construction material are barred from entering the city.

Enforcement and Mitigation Efforts

To ensure compliance with the tightened norms, enforcement efforts have been significantly intensified. Delhi Traffic Police have deployed over 500 personnel, 37 Prakhar vans, and 126 checkpoints, including RFID-enabled entry points, to turn back non-compliant vehicles. E-challan systems are being utilized to instantly verify a vehicle’s emission norms and registration details.

Furthermore, to enforce the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule, a policeman and a transport department official will be stationed at every fuel station. Authorities noted that the initial focus at petrol pumps would be on awareness, advising drivers to update their PUC certificates.

To mitigate the economic impact on affected daily-wage workers, the government has announced Rs 10,000 compensation for registered and verified construction workers.

Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa urged the public and petrol pump owners to cooperate, emphasizing that the campaign is designed to make Delhi’s air breathable again, stating that keeping vehicle PUC certificates updated is a “collective responsibility”.

Looking ahead, the Delhi government plans to launch a city-specific carpooling app. Officials also plan to use Google Maps data to identify congestion hotspots and implement an integrated traffic management system aimed at improving signal coordination and reducing vehicle idling time. Enforcement of GRAP-IV will continue until sustained improvement in pollution levels is observed.