Explained: What is the Winter Action Plan, and who has to follow it?

It is Delhi’s set of anti-pollution rules for the winter months, in force from November 1.

It restricts older non-Delhi vehicles, dust-generating construction and office attendance.

CNG and electric vehicles and essential services are exempt from the vehicle rules.

On day one, Rs 68.4 lakh was imposed in fines and compensation.

Residents are asked to keep pollution certificates valid.

Another report on the Singhu border alone says Delhi Traffic Police inspected 7,279 vehicles, turned back 714 and impounded 38, so the counts depend on the area covered.

There were 127 challans for vehicle-entry violations and 566 challans for missing pollution certificates, according to the report.

Delhi Traffic Police issued 493 of the pollution-certificate challans, worth Rs 49.3 lakh, and the Transport Department issued 73, worth Rs 7.3 lakh.

Inspectors visited 300 construction sites and found 32 breaking dust-control norms, according to the report.

They issued 17 closure directions and 19 show-cause notices, and the Rs 9.8 lakh environmental compensation was imposed on the violating sites.

Exempted infrastructure projects were not found violating dust-control requirements, according to Dainik Jagran English.

Non-Delhi-registered vehicles below the BS-VI emission standard are barred from entering Delhi until January 31, with exemptions for CNG and electric vehicles and essential services.

Dust-generating demolition and outdoor civil construction are restricted, except for specified essential public infrastructure.

A broader ban on construction and demolition applies from December 10 to January 20, 2027, with exemptions.

Parking fees at authorised facilities are doubled until February 28, according to the report.

Government and private offices must limit physical attendance to 50% from November 1 to January 31, and essential and emergency services are exempt.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa urged residents to keep their vehicle pollution certificates valid and follow the restrictions, according to the report.

Individual monitoring stations on November 2 showed air quality index readings of 396 at Rohini, 375 at Alipur and 370 at Vivek Vihar, which are station readings and not a citywide figure.

Seasonal haze over northern India, NASA MODIS satellite image of 2024 (file image), Wikimedia Commons, public domain