Massive traffic snarls hit National Highway 48 (NH-48) on Sunday morning, November 1, 2026, as police forces began strictly enforcing the Delhi government’s ban on out-of-state vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission standards.
The restriction, designed to curb winter air pollution in the national capital, led to significant vehicular congestion stretching over a kilometre along both the main carriageway and service lanes at the Sarhaul border entering Delhi.
Strict Border Enforcement and Traffic Impact
To enforce the new environmental regulations, over 50 Haryana Police personnel were deployed at the Sarhaul border to physically inspect vehicles attempting to cross into Delhi.
- Long Queues: Traffic officers noted that congestion backed up for nearly a kilometre on the Gurugram side and warned that snarls are expected to persist throughout the day due to manual verification processes.
- Affected Vehicles: The ban applies to all non-Delhi registered petrol and diesel vehicles below BS-VI standards, effectively barring BS-III and BS-IV light, medium, and heavy goods vehicles, as well as private cars from neighboring states.
Ban Timeline and Exemptions
The seasonal vehicular ban is set to remain in effect for three months, running from November 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027.
- Exempted Categories: Vehicles registered within Delhi, all electric vehicles (EVs), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles, and out-of-state vehicles complying with BS-VI emission norms are fully exempt from the restrictions.
- Air Quality Strategy: The measure forms part of the region’s broader winter Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to reduce vehicular emissions during peak pollution months.
