At the traffic signal on Rajghat’s Ring Road this morning, the blue and white of the Delhi Traffic Police stood out against a haze-laden skyline. Officers were briskly noting vehicle numbers, checking pollution under control (PUC) certificates, and, where needed, issuing challans whose checks lay lapsed.

“At 9 a.m. we noticed more than two dozen vehicles stacked up,” said the traffic constable not wishing to be quoted.

Traffic police officer, directing traffic at the busy junction. “Almost half of them had no valid PUC; in line with the order from the CAQM, we issued fines and towed two cars already burdening the traffic lane.”

What triggered this strict enforcement?

On 19 October 2025, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued a formal order (No. 120017/27/GRAP/2021) inv

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