As air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) continues to hover in the "Severe" category, the Delhi government has announced a suite of emergency measures under GRAP Stage IV to combat toxic smog.
Starting Thursday, December 18, 2025, stricter rules regarding office attendance, vehicle entry, and fuel accessibility will come into force across the capital.
Delhi Pollution Crisis: Strict New Rules From Thursday
1. Mandatory 50% Work From Home (WFH)
Delhi Labour Minister Kapil Mishra has issued a mandatory directive for all government and private offices to function at 50% capacity.
- The Rule: Half of the staff must work from home starting Thursday.
- Exceptions: Essential services, including healthcare, fire departments, and emergency response teams, are exempt from this mandate.
- Enforcement: The government has warned of strict action against any organization that fails to comply with the staff reduction order.
2. "No PUC, No Fuel" Mandate
In a first-of-its-kind tech-driven crackdown, petrol pumps across Delhi will now be part of the enforcement chain.
- Fuel Ban: Vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate will be denied petrol, diesel, and CNG at all fuel stations.
- AI Surveillance: Petrol pumps have been equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. These cameras will instantly check the vehicle’s status against the central database; if the PUC is expired, the system will flag the vehicle for fuel denial.
3. Curbs on Entry and Old Vehicles
The borders of Delhi will see heightened security to filter out polluting vehicles.
- BS-VI Entry Only: Only BS-VI (Bharat Stage 6) compliant vehicles from outside Delhi (such as those from Noida, Ghaziabad, or Gurugram) will be allowed entry into the capital.
- Old Vehicle Ban: A complete ban remains on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers within the city and surrounding NCR districts.
- End-of-Life Vehicles: The Supreme Court has ended protections for "end-of-life" vehicles (10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol cars). Any such vehicle found on the road is liable to be seized and scrapped immediately.
4. Construction and Industry Shutdowns
Under GRAP-IV, all non-essential construction and demolition (C&D) activities are strictly prohibited.
- Industrial Monitoring: Over 280 industrial units are now under real-time Online Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS).
- Genset Crackdown: Diesel generator sets that do not comply with the latest CAQM norms are being sealed across commercial hubs and banquet halls.
