People who travel by e-rickshaw in Delhi may soon have to pay more. A group of electric vehicle operators has decided to raise the starting fare to Rs 20. This step has been taken because prices of fuel, parts, and daily needs have gone up, while e-rickshaw fares have stayed the same for many years.

Anuj Sharma, head of the e-rickshaw group, said these vehicles have been running in Delhi since 2010. In all these years, their fares did not change. At the same time, auto and taxi fares were raised more than once. He said the new fare may start from next month.

The decision came after a meeting between drivers, sellers, makers, and Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh.

At present, Delhi has more than 2 lakh registered e-rickshaws. Around 1.5 lakh more are running without full registration. These vehicles help people travel short distances, mainly in areas where buses or metros are not easy to reach.

Right now, many drivers charge about Rs 10 for the first 2 km, and Rs 5 for each extra km. With the new plan, the base fare will go up.

In another step, the transport department has taken back a 2022 rule. That rule allowed companies to register many e-rickshaws in their name. Now, the aim is to keep the vehicles in the hands of drivers instead of big firms.

Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said this move will help drivers earn better and stop control by a few big players. He added that this step will support small drivers and help them run their own work.

He also said this change will help more people in Delhi get a fair chance to own and run e-rickshaws, which are an important part of daily travel in the city.

Delhi has made the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule a fixed rule to control air pollution. This step is taken to stop vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate from getting fuel. Vehicle smoke is one of the main reasons for dirty air in the city, especially in winter.

Under this rule, if a vehicle does not have a valid PUC certificate, petrol pumps will refuse to fill fuel. Earlier, this rule was tested in some phases, but now it has become a regular system.

What Is ‘No PUC, No Fuel’?

This rule links fuel with pollution check. When a vehicle reaches a petrol pump, its PUC status is checked through a digital system. Staff will refuse fuel if the certificate is not there or has expired until it is renewed.

The system is connected to online data so there is less scope for checking manually.

Why Has This Rule Been Made Permanent In Delhi?

Delhi has a very serious problem of air pollution. Old and poorly maintained vehicles create more smoke and harm the air. With this rule, the government wants to:

Make people keep their vehicles in good condition
Reduce use of vehicles that create too much smoke
Improve air quality in the city
Make checking regular instead of doing it once in a while

This step helps keep control on pollution all year.

Who Will Be Affected?

This rule applies to all fuel-based vehicles in Delhi, such as:

• Private cars and bikes
• Commercial vehicles
• Old vehicles close to their limit

Vehicles with a valid PUC certificate will not face any problem at petrol pumps.

How to Avoid Problems at Petrol Pumps

To avoid trouble, vehicle owners should:

Check their PUC date on time
Renew it before it expires
Keep a soft copy or print copy
Keep the vehicle in good condition

Getting a PUC certificate is quick and low-cost, so it is easy for most people to follow this rule.

Representational Image | Image: Hindustan Times

Delhi saw very high heat on Saturday as temperatures went up across the city. The main weather station at Safdarjung recorded 42.8°C, which is about 5 degrees higher than normal. Most key weather centres reported heatwave conditions as per rules set by the India Meteorological Department.

Different parts of Delhi faced strong heat:

• Ridge area reached 44.5°C
• Ayanagar recorded 43.2°C
• Lodhi Road saw 42.6°C
• Palam reported 42.5°C

These numbers are much higher than normal and show how strong the heatwave is. The Safdarjung reading is also close to the high of 43.5°C seen in April 2022.

What is a heatwave?
As per IMD rules:

• Temperature must be 40°C or more and at least 4.5°C above normal, or
• It reaches 45°C at any place

For a city heatwave, at least two stations, along with Safdarjung, must meet this rule. That level was reached on Saturday.

The heat stayed strong at night too. Minimum temperatures were higher than usual:

• Safdarjung: 25.2°C
• Palam: 26.8°C

With no rain, the heat kept building, making both day and night hard for people.

Experts say the main reasons are dry winds from the northwest and strong sunlight. These are common in early summer in north India.

When will relief come?
Some relief may come soon, but not right away. IMD has given a yellow alert for Sunday, which means heatwave may continue for one more day. A change may start from April 27:

• Winds from the east may bring some moisture
• Clouds and storms may form
• Temperature may drop by 2–4°C

Light rain, strong winds (up to 50 kmph), and storms are likely from April 27 to 29. This may help lower the heat.

Air quality also gets worse
With rising heat, pollution also went up. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 243, which falls in the “poor” level, as per the Central Pollution Control Board. The air may stay in this range till Sunday, adding to the discomfort.