Shrey MadaanNew Delhi, Dec. 24 -- From December 18 onwards, a Delhi commuter may pull into a petrol pump as usual, only to be silently refused fuel: No argument, no explanation, no warning. A camera will scan the vehicle, detect a missing Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate, and the nozzle simply won't turn on. In the midst of a pollution emergency, Delhi has opted for automation over judgment, restriction over reform. The intention is understandable.
Delhi's air is dangerous, and vehicular emissions are part of the problem. But policies that look efficient on paper can still fail in practice, especially when they ignore how people actually move, work, and live in a city of over 30 million. PUC-based fuel denial assumes three things:...