Traffic congestion and long queues of vehicles were reported at several Delhi borders on Sunday, November 1, as the capital’s new winter pollution-control restrictions came into effect. Heavy traffic was witnessed at the Delhi-Gurugram and Delhi-Noida borders, as traffic police and enforcement teams checked vehicles entering the city. According to PTI, commuters faced bumper-to-bumper traffic near Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) toll booths and other entry points, with officials checking vehicles for compliance with prescribed emission standards.

Delhi’s AQI Reaches 261, Jahangirpuri Records 378
Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 261 on Sunday, placing the city in the ‘poor’ category and marking its highest reading of the season, according to the report. Of the 57 monitoring stations across the capital, 22 recorded ‘very poor’ air quality, 21 reported ‘poor’ conditions and 14 fell in the ‘moderate’ category. Jahangirpuri recorded the highest AQI at 378, approaching the ‘severe’ threshold of 401. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, was the predominant pollutant.

Vehicle Restrictions and Construction Curbs Introduced
The new measures include restrictions on certain vehicles registered outside Delhi that meet only BS-IV or older emission standards. Authorities have also prohibited dust-generating outdoor construction and demolition activities from November 1 to January 31, subject to specified exemptions for essential public infrastructure projects. A broader construction and demolition ban, with specified exemptions, is scheduled from December 10 to January 20.

Parking Charges Doubled, Work-From-Home Measures Announced
As part of the winter pollution-control plan, parking charges at authorised parking lots across Delhi have been doubled from November 1 to February 28. Government and private offices have also been asked to limit physical attendance to 50 per cent, with the remaining employees working from home. Essential and emergency services are exempt from the attendance restrictions.

Around 250 Personnel Deployed for Enforcement
The Delhi Transport Department has deployed around 250 enforcement personnel at major entry points, toll plazas and identified pollution hotspots. A total of 39 teams have been stationed at 13 major toll plazas, including DND, Rajokri on NH-48, Ghazipur, Singhu, Tikri and Badarpur. Officials have been instructed to take action against vehicles that violate the rules, including issuing electronic challans and impounding vehicles where permitted.

Office Timings Changed to Ease Traffic
To help reduce congestion, MCD offices will operate from 8:30 am to 5 pm, while Delhi government offices will function from 10 am to 6:30 pm. The restrictions will remain in force for different periods between November 1 and February 28, depending on the measure, with the aim of reducing vehicle emissions, dust pollution and traffic congestion during the winter months.

The traffic snarls also coincided with the INDIA bloc’s ‘Chalo Dilli’ protest march from the Minto Road–Connaught Place junction to Ramlila Maidan, where Opposition parties were demonstrating against alleged electoral irregularities and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.