India fines thousands of vehicles and construction sites for pollution violations in New Delhi

Authorities in New Delhi have fined nearly 60,000 vehicles and over 7,500 construction sites for violating pollution rules. This action comes as air quality has sharply declined over the past three weeks, with the Central Pollution Control Board reporting a 'very poor' air quality index score of 373. Most of the fined vehicles lacked a pollution under control certificate, and about 3,900 were impounded for being too old. Environmental compensation has been ordered for 597 construction sites, with 56 sites facing closure. New Delhi has been ranked the world's most polluted major city for four consecutive years. The region typically experiences severe pollution during winter due to trapped emissions and smoke from nearby agricultural fires.