From October 1, motorists in Delhi-NCR must carry a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) to buy fuel — vehicles without one will be turned away at petrol and CNG stations, as a strengthened “No PUC, No Fuel” rule takes effect across the region. The measure is a central plank of the winter anti-pollution plan being driven by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
What changes from October 1
Under CAQM Direction No. 101, issued on May 15, 2026, petrol and CNG stations are to prevent vehicles without a valid PUCC from being refuelled from October 1, Business Today reported. In Delhi, the drive will be enforced in “mission mode” at all 500 fuel stations equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, according to a report citing Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, with action planned against pumps that fail to comply.
How it will work across the NCR
The rule is not confined to Delhi. ANPR cameras are to be installed at 1,041 petrol pumps across NCR districts, including eight districts of Uttar Pradesh — Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat and Shamli — along with districts in Haryana and Rajasthan, The Statesman reported. The cameras will check whether a vehicle holds a valid PUCC before fuel is dispensed.
Part of a wider winter plan
The measure was reviewed at the CAQM’s 26th sub-committee meeting on monitoring and enforcement, chaired by Rajesh Verma on September 29, which also examined action against old and end-of-life vehicles and stubble-burning preparations in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. A broader plan discussed at a meeting chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, also lines up a ban on entry of BS-IV and older out-of-state petrol and diesel vehicles into Delhi from November 1, 50 per cent work-from-home for offices, and doubled parking charges, Hindustan Times reported. The “No PUC, No Fuel” rule was first rolled out on October 25 last year but saw patchy enforcement; this year’s push is meant to make the checks systematic. Reports also note that vehicles caught without a valid PUC can face a fine of Rs 10,000.
Sources: Business Today: No petrol or CNG without valid PUC from October 1 | The Statesman: Delhi-NCR tightens ‘no PUC, no fuel’ rule from October 1 | Hindustan Times: Stringent curbs for Delhi as pollution season approaches
What changes from October 1
Under CAQM Direction No. 101, issued on May 15, 2026, petrol and CNG stations are to prevent vehicles without a valid PUCC from being refuelled from October 1, Business Today reported. In Delhi, the drive will be enforced in “mission mode” at all 500 fuel stations equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, according to a report citing Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, with action planned against pumps that fail to comply.
How it will work across the NCR
The rule is not confined to Delhi. ANPR cameras are to be installed at 1,041 petrol pumps across NCR districts, including eight districts of Uttar Pradesh — Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat and Shamli — along with districts in Haryana and Rajasthan, The Statesman reported. The cameras will check whether a vehicle holds a valid PUCC before fuel is dispensed.
Part of a wider winter plan
The measure was reviewed at the CAQM’s 26th sub-committee meeting on monitoring and enforcement, chaired by Rajesh Verma on September 29, which also examined action against old and end-of-life vehicles and stubble-burning preparations in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. A broader plan discussed at a meeting chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, also lines up a ban on entry of BS-IV and older out-of-state petrol and diesel vehicles into Delhi from November 1, 50 per cent work-from-home for offices, and doubled parking charges, Hindustan Times reported. The “No PUC, No Fuel” rule was first rolled out on October 25 last year but saw patchy enforcement; this year’s push is meant to make the checks systematic. Reports also note that vehicles caught without a valid PUC can face a fine of Rs 10,000.
Sources: Business Today: No petrol or CNG without valid PUC from October 1 | The Statesman: Delhi-NCR tightens ‘no PUC, no fuel’ rule from October 1 | Hindustan Times: Stringent curbs for Delhi as pollution season approaches
