Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Saturday ordered restrictions on plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars on Delhi roads in line with the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) order, invoking the Stage- III of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi and NCR.
“As per directions as provided under Stage- III of the revised GRAP and under Section 115 of Motors Vehicle Act, 1988, it is hereby ordered that there shall be restrictions to ply BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel LMVs (4 wheelers) in NCT of Delhi with immediate effect till further orders (except for vehicles deployed in Emergency services, police vehicles & Govt vehicles used for Enforcement), ” Transport Department’s order said.
The government has also ordered that if any BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel LMVs (4 wheeler) found plying on road, it will be prosecuted under section 194 (1) of Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 which provides with a fine of Rs 20000.
It was on Friday, that the CAQM held a review meeting on the Delhi air pollution situation where it was observed that city’s AQI level witnessed sharp spike stepping into the ‘severe’ zone and meteorological conditions were also considered as per the forecast by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology(IITM), that led to invoking GRAP stage- III in addition to the stages-I and II already in force across Delhi and NCR.
Last month, GRAP stage- III was invoked and the same remained in force between November 2 upto November 28.
Meanwhile, with the coming in of the GRAP-III, stricter checking is likely against the violators who are yet to renew their vehicles pollution under control certificates after getting the inspection.
Last month a large number of people were fined by the authorities who, despite the ban on the BS-III petrol and BS-IV four wheelers, took their vehicles out on roads.