Delhi Enforces Stricter Vehicle Emission Standards to Combat Pollution

In a decisive step to address escalating air pollution levels in the national capital, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced a ban on non-BS-VI compliant commercial vehicles from entering Delhi starting November 1, 2025. This move aims to tackle pollution from high-volume traffic in the city.

The regulation specifies that commercial vehicles that don't meet BS-VI standards will only be permitted to enter temporarily until October 31, 2026, for essential services. CAQM's directive highlighted the need for alternative CNG, LNG, or EV-based logistics solutions post-deadline.

The severity of the situation is underscored by the Air Quality Index in Delhi and NCR, which remains in the 'very poor' category. An AQI of 304 was recorded, prompting the government to initiate cloud seeding operations for the first time, in hopes of artificially inducing rainfall.