{
  "id": 16992181,
  "title": "Over 4.5 lakh PUC challans issued in Delhi till Oct 27: Traffic police data",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/over-4-5-lakh-puc-challans-issued-in-delhi-till-oct-27-traffic-police",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-29T02:07:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times",
    "slug": "hindustan-times",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/over-4-5-lakh-puc-challans-issued-in-delhi-till-oct-27-traffic-police-data-101793239648260.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the first ten months of 2025, Delhi's traffic police issued more than four and a half lakh (4.53 lakh) challans to vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. This is a five-fold increase from the number of such challans issued in 2022, which stood at 1.64 lakh. The total number of challans issued in 2025 surpasses the figures for 2024 (5.98 lakh), 2023 (2.32 lakh), and 2022 (1.64 lakh).\n\nThe rise in PUC-related violations is attributed to stricter enforcement measures by the Delhi Traffic Police, aimed at ensuring compliance with emission norms and discouraging vehicles that contribute to air pollution. A senior traffic police officer stated that the focus is on \"strictly enforcing pollution under control (PUC) norms, stopping visibly polluting vehicles and imposing maximum penalties,\" as Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) came into force on October 21 due to poor air quality.\n\nThe increase in challans is particularly relevant as Delhi prepares for the winter pollution season, when vehicular emissions are a significant concern. A valid PUC certificate confirms that a vehicle adheres to prescribed emission standards. The Delhi Traffic Police has directed its personnel to intensify enforcement of PUC norms, increase regular checks, and impose higher penalties to deter violations.",
  "summary": "The objective is to ensure compliance with emission norms and discourage vehicles that contribute to air pollution from plying without a valid PUCC",
  "key_points": [
    "Over 4.53 lakh PUC challans issued in Delhi till Oct 27, 2025.",
    "Five-fold increase from 2022, when 1.64 lakh challans were issued.",
    "Stricter enforcement aims to curb air pollution and improve GRAP compliance."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Aggressive enforcement of emission norms as air quality degrades signals a shift toward using heavy penalties to curb vehicular pollution during the critical winter season in the capital.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}