New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) As Delhi continues to battle chronic air pollution, enforcement action against polluting vehicles has intensified sharply. Prosecutions for violations related to Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC) recorded a surge of over 40 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year, reflecting stricter monitoring and enforcement by traffic authorities. Official data show that PUCC-related prosecutions rose from 5,97,772 cases in 2024 to 8,62,944 in 2025 -- an increase of 2,65,172 cases within a single year.

Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Dinesh Kumar Gupta, said the rise was primarily due to intensified enforcement at Delhi’s border points and round-the-clock deployment of traffic personnel. "Traffic police are deployed extensively at the bordering areas of Delhi, which led to a significant increase in prosecutions," Gupta said, adding that the deployment was carried out as per directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

The spike in enforcement coincided with repeated spells of ‘poor’ and ‘severe’ air quality in the national capital, where vehicular emissions remain one of the major contributors to pollution levels. Officials said frequent roadside checks and sustained drives against vehicles operating without valid PUCCs played a key role in the higher number of cases. A senior Delhi Traffic Police official also said that special health camps were organised for traffic personnel deployed on ground duty during the winter months, when pollution levels typically peak.

"The medical reports did not reveal anything alarming. Masks are also being provided to traffic police personnel at regular intervals to safeguard their health," the official said. Authorities maintained that enforcement and monitoring efforts would continue as part of broader measures to curb vehicular pollution and improve air quality in the Capital. Delhi's air quality was continuously deteriorating, so the government implemented different stages of GRAP. This resulted in extensive checking at the Delhi border, restrictions on polluting vehicles, and thousands of fines. Trucks, buses, and light vehicles were all checked to improve Delhi's air quality.