New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS):: In its bid to deal with the vehicular pollution exacerbating the capital's air quality , the Delhi Police is rigorously implementing punitive measures against defaulters.
The focus has been on ensuring that vehicle drivers adhere to the necessary environmental standards, particularly possessing a Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC).
Central Delhi area has emerged as a hotspot for such violations, with a notable surge in instances of commuters found traveling without the mandatory PUC certificate.
As part of recent enforcement actions, a significant number of offenders have been penalised.
In Kamla Market alone, 128 people were issued challans for violating pollution control norms. Paharganj closely followed with 114 offenders facing penalties, while Sadar Bazar and Timarpur recorded 111 and 94 challans, respectively.
A senior official from the Delhi Police has reported a prevalent issue of improper parking in prominent areas such as Punjabi Bagh, Rajouri Garden, and Dwarka. Police efforts have been particularly stringent against commuters driving against the traffic flow, with a focus on areas like Nangloi, Khajoori, and Punjabi Bagh.
Action has been taken against vehicles entering No-Entry zones, with notable violations recorded in Parliament Street, Sarita Vihar, and Narela, according to the official statement.
Since the introduction of rigorous measures in response to severe air pollution concerns, there has been a 82 per cent increase in challans issued to BS-III vehicles, totaling 380 compared to the previous day's 209.
Between November 3 and November 9, a total of 1,638 BS-III Petrol vehicles were charged for operating on the roads, resulting in the issuance of 1,683 challans, with 8 vehicles being impounded.
"In the same period, 7,331 BS-IV Diesel vehicles were detected on the roads, leading to the issuance of 7,603 challans, and 31 of these vehicles were impounded,” said a senior traffic cop.
"The restriction on the entry of truck traffic into Delhi (excluding trucks carrying essential commodities/providing essential services and all LNG/CNG/electric trucks) resulted in the prosecution of 123 vehicles, with 133 challans issued and the impounding of one vehicle. Similarly, the prohibition on the entry of LCVs registered outside Delhi, except for EVs/CNG/BS-VI diesel vehicles, led to the prosecution of 219 vehicles, with 226 challans issued,” the officer added.
Prosecutions of BS-IV vehicles have experienced a 50 per cent surge, resulting in 1,548 challans, up from 1,104 on November 8.
Stringent measures targeting truck entry into Delhi have shown a significant increase, with 51 vehicles prosecuted on November 9, marking a substantial 147 per cent rise from the figures recorded on November 8.