Delhi's Pollution Curbs Are Back - And Not Everyone Is Stopping

New Delhi: Delhi woke up to tighter pollution controls on Thursday as toxic air continued to hang over the city. With air quality slipping deeper into the "severe" category, authorities switched on the strictest set of curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4). The message is clear: cut pollution fast. But the rules are not the same for everyone.

Why were stricter rules needed now?

For days, Delhi’s air has remained hazardous, with doctors warning of breathing trouble, eye irritation and rising hospital visits. Officials say emergency steps were unavoidable. GRAP-4 kicks in when pollution hits extreme levels and aims to immediately reduce vehicle emissions and human exposure.

Who does not have to follow these curbs?

While many Delhiites will face restrictions, essential services have been kept out of the net.

The official notice issued by the Delhi government said, "Ambulances, fire tenders, police vehicles and other emergency response units operating on petrol or CNG will continue to function without interruption, ensuring that public safety and medical services are not impacted by the drive."

Doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers have also been exempted from work-from-home rules and travel limits. They will continue reporting to hospitals and clinics as usual.

Other emergency and utility services linked to public safety and pollution control have also been allowed to function without interruption.

What about offices and daily commuters?

Government and private offices have been told to operate with half their staff working from home. Only essential personnel are expected to travel. The idea is simple: fewer vehicles on the road mean fewer emissions.

Fuel stations have been directed not to provide petrol or diesel to vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. Enforcement teams have been deployed to check compliance across the city.

How are residents reacting?

For many commuters, the exemptions have brought some clarity, but also confusion. While people understand the need to protect emergency services, daily wage workers and small business owners worry about lost income and disrupted routines.

How long will these curbs stay?

Officials say the restrictions will remain until air quality improves to safer levels. Monitoring is being done daily, and the rules may be relaxed or tightened depending on pollution readings.

For now, Delhi is once again balancing clean air with daily life, a familiar winter struggle, made sharper by the smog outside people's windows.