Delhi cracks down on polluting vehicles: Thousands impounded since October
Delhi has been on a mission to clean up its air, impounding 7,789 end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) since October 1, 2025, as part of stricter anti-pollution measures.
Alongside this, over 12 lakh vehicles have received challans for pollution violations—just on January 1, more than 6,596 were fined.
The city's push is part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), aiming to tackle vehicle emissions that make up nearly a third of Delhi's air pollution.
Fines, fuel bans, and mass deregistration
If your vehicle doesn't have a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC), you could be fined up to ₹10,000—and petrol pumps are now refusing fuel without it.
Following court orders, Delhi has also been deregistering older diesel and petrol vehicles; since January 2022, about 55 lakh ELVs have lost their registration.
Fuel bans kicked in last July using automatic number plate recognition at pumps but faced legal hurdles.
The Supreme Court recently removed protections for older Bharat Stage-III vehicles too—so staying updated on the rules is more important than ever if you drive in the city.