Delhi’s ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ Crackdown: 3700 Fined In First 24 Hours, Over 61,000 New Pollution Certificates Issued

New Delhi: In a bid to curb the hazardous pollution in Delhi-NCR, the government rolled out ‘No PUCC, No Fuel’ rule on Thursday. Surprisingly, in the first 24 hours, as the rule came into effect, over 3700 vehicles were slapped with fines for failing to show a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC). At the same time, around 570 cars that could not produce the required paperwork were turned away from the city’s borders, and a further 217 non‑destined trucks were redirected onto the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways to keep them out of the congested centre.

The massive crackdown has led vehicles rushing to the testing centres, with officials reporting that over 61,000 PUCCs were issued between December 17 and 18. The rapid uptake showed that many motorists were eager to comply once the rule became enforceable .

The officials stated that joint teams from the Delhi Traffic Police and the Transport Department set up checkpoints at the main entry points and inspected around 5000 vehicles. Those without a valid certificate were either fined or sent back, a move that Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said was already easing the flow of outside traffic into the capital.

The ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ drive is only one strand of a battle against Delhi’s choking air. The city is also tackling road dust, industrial emissions and waste management, and has invoked stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the highest level of alert, after the Air Quality Index (AQI) hit 493 on Monday morning, placing the city firmly in the ‘severe’ category.

Speaking at a press conference, the Delhi Minister warned that enforcement would continue and urged owners to keep their certificates up to date. He stressed that the figures reflected both strict policing and growing public cooperation, and outlined the need for coordination with neighbouring states to curb the regional sources of pollution.

The officials have promised that the checks will stay in place for the foreseeable future. The petrol pump operators have been instructed to verify certificates before dispensing fuel, and the government is rolling out AI‑enabled cameras and automatic number‑plate recognition to make the process smoother. The drivers are being urged to plan ahead, carry their PUCC, and expect occasional delays at the city’s gates.