Will your car be returned from the petrol pump without PUCC after October 1? Big rule is going to be implemented in NCR! Will ANPR cameras catch every rule-breaking vehicle? Is there going to be a big action on 26 lakh old vehicles? Will UP’s “No PUCC, No Fuel” campaign prove to be the biggest bet against the poisonous air of Delhi-NCR?
Lucknow/Delhi-NCR: A very shocking and big news has come to light for the drivers living in the areas of Western Uttar Pradesh adjacent to Delhi. The UP government has taken the most strict and surprising decision till date against the increasing air pollution. From October 1, vehicles without valid Pollution Control Certificate (PUCC) will not be given fuel (petrol-diesel) at petrol pumps in all NCR (National Capital Region) districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Target to reduce 35% pollution by 2026
Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh S.P. This “No PUCC, No Fuel” policy has been finalized in a high-level review meeting chaired by Goyal. The government has set a very ambitious target of reducing pollution levels in the entire NCR region by 30 to 35 percent by the year 2026. But this decision has increased the heartbeat of those people who were driving vehicles on the roads without valid documents.
The midnight meeting and that decision…which increased the heartbeats of the drivers.
Even before the onset of winter, the UP administration has created a maze against the elements causing pollution. Eight major districts falling in the NCR region of Uttar Pradesh—Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), Ghaziabad, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat and Shamli—have come directly on the radar of this new rule. The Chief Secretary has made it clear that now laxity will not be tolerated at any level in dealing with pollution. Under this campaign, preparations are being made not only on vehicles but also to make the citizens aware and make them a part of this big campaign.
Third eye guard on petrol pumps: AI cameras will reveal the secret of every vehicle
If you are thinking that without pollution certificate you will get fuel filled by throwing dust in the eyes of petrol pump attendants, then be careful. This time the government is preparing an impenetrable security system. ‘Automatic Number Plate Recognition’ (ANPR) cameras are being installed at all 1,041 petrol pumps present in these eight districts. As soon as a vehicle enters the fuel station, this high-tech camera will scan its number plate and check it directly against the government database. If your PUCC has expired, a ‘red signal’ will immediately appear on the computer screen and the machine will not release even a drop of oil.
“New journey” or the end of sour trains? 26 lakh vehicles are in danger
The most shocking figures that emerged in this review meeting surprised even the officials. Investigation has revealed that there are approximately 26.19 lakh ‘end-of-life’ (i.e. have completed their legal term) vehicles in these NCR districts of UP, which are secretly spewing poison on the roads. Under the government’s “Naya Safar” initiative, a campaign to completely destroy these sour vehicles has started. Between January and April this year, the administration has converted 37,156 such vehicles into scrap and seized 460 other vehicles. Now the entire emphasis is only on promoting BS-VI standards, CNG and electric vehicles (EV).
Rejuvenation of roads and strict monitoring of air: major preparations behind the scenes
Apart from vehicles, the government has prepared a mega plan worth billions of rupees to purify the air:
- E-bus network: 975 modern electric buses will soon be seen running on the roads of Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Meerut, out of which 100 buses have already been rolled out.
- Reconstruction of roads: To prevent flying dust, 1,792 km of roads are being revamped in these four big cities at a huge cost of ₹3,666 crore.
- Keep an eye on smog: Of the 43 state-of-the-art CAAQMS stations to measure air purity, 25 have become operational, and the remaining 18 stations will also go live by October.
Hard attack on factories: 613 polluting units connected to central server
The suspense is not limited to the roads only, but there is commotion in the industrial areas too. The administration has identified 725 such factories and industries in NCR which were poisoning the air. Of these, 613 factories have been directly linked to the live servers of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) through the Online Continuous Emission Monitoring System (OCEMS). This means that now the account of every particle of smoke coming out of the chimneys of factories will be visible directly on the computers of top officials sitting in Delhi.
Polluting industries also on radar
Apart from this, it has been made mandatory for 665 factories to install pollution control equipment, work on which is going on day and night. GPS tracking and geo-tagging is being used to prevent violations at construction sites. It is clear that after October 1, both driving and running a factory in NCR of UP is going to be impossible without strict rules.