Polluting vehicles remain unchecked despite strict PUC norms
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Despite stringent screening and monitoring before pollution under control (PUC) certificates are issued, heavy smoke emissions from some heavy vehicles and city buses remain unchecked, raising serious concerns over air pollution. The authorities have also reportedly failed to identify old autorickshaws and vehicles with two-stroke engines that figure on the list of polluting vehicles.
Emissions containing pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter, which can adversely affect human health, remain a concern despite initiatives by the State and Union governments to promote electric vehicles through attractive financing schemes and subsidies. Health experts point out that prolonged exposure to polluted air increases the risk of respiratory problems and cardiovascular diseases.
A recent scientific study analysing air quality across Keralam’s coastal monitoring stations identifies Kozhikode as a location with particularly high nitric oxide levels and underlines the need for closer monitoring of pollution sources. According to official figures, Kozhikode district had over 17 lakh registered vehicles as of March 2025, highlighting the need for stronger measures to curb vehicular pollution.
“The checking squads mainly examine the expiry date of the PUC certificates. They never check the authenticity of the issued certificates or doubt any malpractice,” says a retired Motor Vehicles department (MVD) official. Vehicles emitting excessive smoke should be immediately taken to testing centres for spot inspection and subsequent action, he says.
A senior police officer with the traffic enforcement squad says enforcement can be effective only with the introduction of mobile emission testing squads and automated enforcement mechanisms. Local patrol squads currently have no access to mobile testing units, a gap that requires State government intervention, he adds.
However, operators of pollution testing centres in Kozhikode city say there is little scope for malpractice in issuing PUC certificates under the latest testing parameters and automated systems. The actual test results have to be uploaded to a centralised server and are always available for scrutiny by the authorities concerned, they add.
Meanwhile, some residents’ association functionaries allege that heavy vehicles emitting excessive smoke are mostly used for illegal activities such as sand smuggling or septage dumping. They claim that the owners of such vehicles are not even concerned about obtaining PUC certificates. A focused enforcement drive could also identify several other vehicles, including private buses and heavy vehicles, operating with forged certificates, they add.
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