‘End of life’ vehicles to be denied fuel in Delhi from July 1

In its order on Wednesday, the CAQM asked the authorities in Delhi and the NCR States to file compliance reports regularly.
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) on Wednesday directed authorities in the national capital not to allow “end of life” or overage vehicles to refuel in Delhi from July 1. It also asked officials in five districts of the National Capital Region (NCR) — Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Sonipat — to impose similar restrictions from November 1. All other NCR districts have been given time until March 31, 2026 to implement the order.

The National Green Tribunal had in 2015 banned overage vehicles, defined as petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years, in the NCR.

In its order, the Centre’s air quality monitoring panel asked the Transport Departments of Delhi and NCR States to “disseminate this direction among all stakeholders, including fuel stations, and ensure its strict compliance through effective implementation/ enforcement measures”.

It also stated that “concerted actions initiated by all the agencies concerned towards liquidation of the large fleet of end of life vehicles shall be reported to the commission on a monthly basis”.

According to the order, all fuel stations in the Capital need to instal automated number plate recognition cameras by June 30. These cameras will be linked with the Centre’s VAHAN portal to identify overage vehicles.

The Delhi government had in March decided to ban fuel to overage vehicles and those without valid Pollution Under Control certificates from April 1.

However, it later said the necessary hardware had not been installed at some filling stations.

“The installations have been made in nearly 90% of the fuel stations. We are working to instal the systems in the remaining stations,” Delhi Environment Manjinder Singh Sirsa had said earlier this month.

More curbs

The CAQM also directed a prohibition from November 1 on the entry into the Capital of all transport and commercial goods vehicles not registered in Delhi.

The order exempted BS-VI, CNG, LNG, and EVs, as well as vehicles transporting essential commodities, from the curbs.

However, it directed that all providers of essential goods would also have to switch to these environment-friendly fuel sources by October 31, 2026. It also sought “quarterly reports on the action taken by the agencies concerned”.

So far, the ban on the entry of vehicles from other States has been implemented only during the implementation of the GRAP following a deterioration in the air quality.