Delhi pollution crisis: Govt restricts non-BS VI vehicle entry; commuters slam abrupt move, metro faces extra pressure

GURGAON/NOIDA: A decision by Delhi govt to ban the entry of non-BS VI vehicles from Thursday threatens to upend daily life for lakhs of commuters across NCR, with more than 2 lakh vehicles in Gurgaon, 4 lakh in Noida and 5.5 lakh in Ghaziabad alone set to be sidelined overnight. The move, aimed at tackling Delhi's toxic air, has triggered a wave of anxiety and frustration among residents who depend on cross-border travel for work and family obligations.

According to official records, Gurgaon is home to nearly 2 lakh privately owned vehicles that fall below the BS-VI emission standard - comprising about 1.5 lakh BS-III petrol cars and over 36,000 BS-IV diesel vehicles. The city also counts more than 47,000 commercial BS-IV diesel vehicles and over 2,000 BS-III petrol vehicles, along with around 2,200 BS-III and IV buses. In addition, some 92,000 diesel vehicles in Gurgaon have already crossed the 10-year age limit.




The story is similar in Noida, where the ban will affect over 4 lakh vehicles. Out of nearly 10 lakh registered vehicles in the city, 1.4 lakh are BS-III models - 96,210 petrol and 41,067 diesel - while 2.8 lakh are BS-IV vehicles, with a majority running on petrol. Only about 4.2 lakh vehicles in Noida meet the BS-VI standard and will be allowed to enter Delhi. In Ghaziabad, over 5.5 lakh vehicles are BS-VI compliant, but more than 5.5 lakh others, including 1.7 lakh BS-III and 3.7 lakh BS-IV vehicles, will be barred.

For many residents, the ban feels abrupt and impractical. Manoj Kumar of Gurgaon's Sector 50 called the order "absurd", arguing that Delhi and its neighbouring cities function as a single unit. "Lakhs of people from Gurgaon and Faridabad travel to Delhi daily for work and other purposes. This order will obstruct the free flow movement of people," he said.

Subhangi Sharma, from Sector 40, echoed the sentiment, criticising the govt for resorting to what she described as "quick fixes" instead of addressing the root causes of pollution. "Putting restrictions on vehicles is the only thing our govt knows when it comes to dealing with pollution," she said.

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Noida's assistant regional transport officer, Nand Kumar, explained that the ban is in line with the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) III, which requires NCR states to restrict BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles.

"Now, Delhi govt has gone a step further and imposed a ban on all categories of vehicles below BS-VI. Traffic police teams have been deployed at all Noida-Delhi borders. Such vehicles will not be allowed to enter Delhi. Violators will be fined and their vehicles seized," he said.

Alok Singh, a resident of Greater Noida's Alpha 1, pointed out the lack of alternatives for those affected. "The govt enforces rules and bans old vehicles in a random manner. But what alternative modes of transport are available for people to commute during such bans? Nearly half of the population does not own BS-VI vehicles and will be badly affected. This will also put additional pressure on metro services, which are already overloaded," he said.

Singh, who owns both a BS-IV and a BS-VI vehicle, questioned whether such bans alone can improve air quality, given the multiple factors involved.

In Noida, Rahul Saha from 7X sectors accused the govt of using older vehicles as scapegoats. "It is trying to arm twist people into buying BS-VI cars. This is done in parts to appease car manufacturers who are not getting good bookings even after GST cuts. A complete ban for private cars is uncalled for," he said.