Useful

Delhi enforces no-PUC, no-fuel rule as checks rise at 400 petrol pumps

Delhi has restarted its “no PUC, no fuel” drive amid growing concern over winter air pollution. Vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control certificate are being denied petrol and diesel, while PUC centres have reported an increase of up to 50% in certificate applications.

Editor: AI News 24x7 Published: 01 Oct 2026, 09:30 PM Updated: 01 Oct 2026, 09:30 PM

Delhi enforces no-PUC, no-fuel rule as checks rise at 400 petrol pumps.

Delhi has reintroduced its “no PUC, no fuel” rule amid concern over worsening air pollution as winter approaches. Under the measure, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control certificate are not being given petrol or diesel at filling stations.

The enforcement began on Thursday, with heightened monitoring reported at all 400 petrol pumps in the capital. The move has also driven more motorists to Pollution Under Control (PUC) centres, where certificate applications have increased by up to 50%.

Queues and delays at PUC centres

Delhi has 1,000 PUC centres, and queues were seen at several locations by the evening. Server problems meant that completing the certificate process could take between 30 minutes and one hour.

PUC services were free on Thursday, encouraging more vehicle owners to obtain or renew their certificates. The number of certificates issued on the first day was estimated to exceed 10,000.

How checks are being carried out

Specially installed NPR cameras at petrol pumps were identifying vehicles without PUC certificates. Announcements were also being made over speakers, including the registration numbers of vehicles flagged during the checks.

The current drive follows earlier enforcement linked to winter pollution control in December 2025. A similar campaign was also carried out in April and May this year.

Pump operators raise notice issue

Petrol pump operators said they had not received written information from the Delhi government about the new rule. They were nevertheless implementing it on the basis of media reports.

Bibek Banerjee, president of the Delhi Petroleum Dealers Association, said only a few such cases were reported across Delhi's pumps on Thursday. In those instances, motorists were being asked to obtain a PUC certificate before returning for fuel.

The report does not specify the duration of the current enforcement drive or the penalty for motorists who do not have a valid certificate.

Conclusion

Delhi's no-PUC, no-fuel rule is now being enforced at petrol pumps, while the resulting rush has increased demand at PUC centres and caused delays at some locations.