No PUC, no fuel in Delhi: Govt tightens pollution checks from October 1 across Delhi-NCR
The study also found that some CNG vehicles produced significant emissions in real-world conditions, showing that using CNG does not automatically mean a vehicle is pollution-free.
PTC News Desk: From October 1, vehicles in Delhi-NCR without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate may not be able to get fuel.
In Delhi, the “No PUCC, No Fuel” rule will be implemented at all 500 fuel stations equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. Petrol pumps that fail to follow the rule may face action.
The aim is to ensure that vehicles on the roads have valid pollution certificates. The rule will apply across Delhi-NCR under the Commission for Air Quality Management’s Direction 101.
Does a valid PUC mean a vehicle is pollution-free?
Not necessarily.
According to Amit Bhatt, India Managing Director of the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), the PUC test checks only certain pollutants and does not measure several important ones.
What does the PUC test check?
For petrol, CNG and LPG vehicles, the test measures carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC).
For diesel vehicles, it checks smoke opacity, which measures how much the exhaust blocks light.
However, the test does not directly measure pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), particle numbers (PN) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Can a vehicle pass PUC and still cause pollution?
Yes.
A vehicle can have a valid PUC certificate and still release high levels of NOx or particulate pollution because these pollutants are not directly checked during the test.
Actual emissions can also vary depending on the vehicle’s age, mileage, maintenance, driving habits and load.
An ICCT study that tested more than 100,000 vehicles at 20 locations in Delhi and Gurugram found that BS-VI vehicles were generally cleaner. However, some commercial vehicles produced much higher NOx emissions than private cars.
The study also found that some CNG vehicles produced significant emissions in real-world conditions, showing that using CNG does not automatically mean a vehicle is pollution-free.
What about BS-VI vehicles?
BS-VI vehicles generally produce fewer emissions, but their pollution-control systems are more advanced and require proper functioning.
Modern diesel vehicles use Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) to capture soot. However, the current diesel PUC test mainly checks smoke opacity rather than directly measuring particle numbers or NOx.
Experts have pointed out that even a vehicle with a damaged or tampered DPF could potentially pass an opacity-based test without the problem being detected.
The PUC process can also record whether a vehicle's pollution-control warning light is on, although this is not always consistently checked in practice.