Delhi Air Crisis: Smog Thickens as New “No PUC, No Fuel” Rules Kick In

Delhi Chokes Under “Very Poor” Air: AQI Hits 387 as Toxic Smog Blankets the Capital

• Hotspots of Haze: Anand Vihar and R.K. Puram Cross Into the “Severe” Zone

  Add businessleague.in as a Preferred Source

  

• The New Crackdown: Minister Sirsa Enforces “No PUC, No Fuel” at Petrol Pumps

• Record Compliance: 61,000 Pollution Certificates Issued in Just 24 Hours

• Weather Woes: Calmer Winds and Thermal Inversion Keep Pollutants Trapped

• GRAP 4 Status: Schools Closed and Work-From-Home Advisories Intensify

Also Read | Apple Cracks the Walled Garden in Japan: Alternative Stores Go Live

Delhi woke up to a gray wall of toxic mist this morning. The thing is, the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has climbed to 387, keeping it firmly in the “very poor” bracket.

Actually, it’s getting worse. Specifically, parts of the city like Anand Vihar and R.K. Puram have already crossed the 430 mark. As a result, that puts them in the “severe” category. Consequently, if you are standing outside for more than ten minutes, you can literally taste the metallic tang of the smog (let’s be real, it feels like the whole city is breathing through a tailpipe).

And here’s the kicker. The government has stopped playing nice with vehicle owners.

Basically, if you don’t have a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate, you aren’t getting a single drop of fuel. Instead of just giving out fines, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has stationed enforcement teams at petrol pumps across the Delhi-Gurugram border. In fact, it seems to be working. And then Y followed. Over 61,000 people rushed to get their PUCs updated in just one day to avoid being turned away at the pump.

AQI Breakdown Across Delhi Hotspots (8:00 AM, Dec 19, 2025)

Moreover, the weather isn’t helping anyone. Specifically, the IMD has issued a red alert because of “very dense fog” that has dropped visibility to near zero at Safdarjung.

Also Read | Apple Cracks the Walled Garden in Japan: Alternative Stores Go Live

Actually, the wind is too calm to blow the smoke away. As a result, the pollutants are just sitting there, trapped near the ground by something called thermal inversion.

 Consequently, even though 31,000 new certificates were issued by Thursday evening, the air hasn’t cleared up yet (those too).

The thing is, this isn’t just a “Delhi” problem anymore. In fact, Minister Sirsa is calling it a regional fight, thanking Haryana and UP for their help at the borders.

Basically, the GRAP 4 rules are in full swing. Instead of a tidy wrap-up, keep in mind that schools for Nursery to Class 5 are totally shut, and older kids are stuck in “hybrid” mode. And then Y followed. Private offices are being warned that if they don’t allow 50% of their staff to work from home, they’ll be facing legal heat next week.

Also Read | Apple Cracks the Walled Garden in Japan: Alternative Stores Go Live

Add businessleague.in as a Preferred Source