Delhi Pollution: Ban On BS3 Petrol, BS4 Diesel Cars Lifted As AQI Improves

Delhi government lifts ban on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles due to rising AQI; decision aligns with eased anti-pollution measures.

The Delhi government has lifted the ban that it has recently imposed on the application of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers, considering the soaring AQI levels in the capital city. The move came after the Centre withdrew anti-pollution curbs under stage-III of GRAP in Delhi-NCR with immediate effect. The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, met on January 1 following improvement in air quality.

In light of the improved air quality in Delhi, Stage-III of the GRAP has been revoked.

Therefore, the restrictions imposed on the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel LMVs (4 wheelers) in Delhi are lifted with immediate effect until further orders. pic.twitter.com/u8tPb5PBcx — Kailash Gahlot (@kgahlot) January 1, 2024

"In light of the improved air quality in Delhi, Stage-III of the GRAP has been revoked. Therefore, the restrictions imposed on the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel LMVs (4 wheelers) in Delhi are lifted with immediate effect until further orders," Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said in a post on X.

The sub-committee of CAQM revoked the Stage-III of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in view of the forecasts by the IMD/IITM for meteorological conditions and air quality index of Delhi, officials said.

The CAQM invoked actions under GRAP Stage-III last year on December 22 amid deteriorating air quality in Delhi as the AQI level slipped into the 'Severe' category for several days.

Restrictions were also imposed in the neighboring cities under Stage-III of GRAP. Resultantly, the ban was also imposed on the operation of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.