Delhi minister Manjinder Sirsa apologises for non-BS-IV vehicle entry curbs, calls them ‘necessary’

Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday apologised to NCR residents for the inconvenience caused by restrictions on the entry of non-BS VI vehicles into the national capital.Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa during a press briefing on AQI and various other issues, at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), DPCC, in New Delhi, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. (PTI)The restrictions, which are part of the Delhi government’s winter action plan, came into effect on November 1 and will remain in force until January 31, 2027.Addressing a press conference at the Integrated Command and Control Centre in Shastri Park, Sirsa said he had been seeing videos on social media of vehicles being turned back at the city borders. "I apologise to the residents of NCR for the inconvenience caused to them. But these restrictions were necessary to curb pollution levels. This is for the health of your children. Please think about your children," he said.The minister stressed that the strong step was taken with the well-being of the people in mind."We would not have taken this step had it not been necessary. Once again, I urge residents of NCR not to bring their non-BS VI vehicles to Delhi. It is for the health of our children. Delhi is your city too, and you also have a role to play," he said.Enforcement against vehicles entering Delhi in violation of the ban on non-Delhi-registered vehicles below BS-VI standards has been underway, with 10,019 vehicles detected on Wednesday, bringing the cumulative total to 45,601 since November 1. The restrictions apply to non-Delhi-registered vehicles below BS-VI standards, excluding CNG and electric vehicles, from November 1 to January 31.Delhi's AQI remains ‘very poor’Delhi's air quality remained in the “very poor” category for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday, as a thick haze continued to engulf the city’s skyline.Delhi's air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 368 at 7.05 am. The 24-hour average AQI on Wednesday was 377, compared with 350 on Tuesday and 324 on Monday. Last Friday, the city recorded an AQI of 60, in the “satisfactory” category, making it the cleanest October day in four years.The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies AQI readings of 0-50 as “good”, 51-100 as “satisfactory”, 101-200 as “moderate”, 201-300 as “poor”, 301-400 as “very poor” and 401-500 as “severe”.Eighteen of the city's 59 reporting stations recorded AQI readings in the severe category, 36 in the very poor category, and 5 in the poor category.At 7 am, CPCB listed PM2.5 as the main pollutant at 53 of Delhi's 59 reporting stations and PM10 at the remaining six. At the same time a day earlier, the corresponding counts were 54 and five.