India’s capital launched its winter anti-pollution plan on November 1.

Authorities imposed about 6.84 million rupees in fines on the first day.

Older vehicles from outside the city were turned back at the borders.

Construction sites were penalised for dust.

Offices must limit physical attendance to half.

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.

Another report says the city has moved to the second stage of the Graded Response Action Plan, under which vehicles that do not meet the BS-VI standard face restrictions.

The numbers differ between reports, and official figures from the Delhi government or the Commission for Air Quality Management are the best check.

The Graded Response Action Plan is the set of staged anti-pollution measures that Delhi and nearby areas apply as air quality worsens.

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