Days after implementing a ban on supplying fuel for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), the Delhi government has written to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to hold the implementation of the latter’s direction that mandated the denial of fuel to ELVs in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas. He noted that it is difficult to implement the ban due to operational and infrastructure challenges.
Following the orders issued by the CAQM in NCR and adjoining areas earlier this year amid deteriorating air pollution, the Delhi government implemented the ban on refueling ELVs from July 1. ELVs: diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years - are no longer allowed to purchase fuel in the city. The transport department and traffic police are actively impounding ELVs that attempt to refuel at petrol pumps.
“It is not feasible to implement this order at this juncture. In fact, immediate implementation of the direction may be premature and potentially counterproductive,” Delhi Environment Minister Sardar Majinder Singh Sirsa wrote in the letter. “We strongly urge the Commission to put the on hold with implementation of Direction No. 89 NCR.”
To enforce the ban, ELVs are identified using ANPR cameras deployed across Delhi's fuel stations. These cameras scan vehicle number plates and cross-reference the data with the government's VAHAN portal. The ANPR system is specifically designed to flag vehicles that lack a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) or have been deregistered as ELVs.
Sirsa highlighted operational issues with the ANPR system, stating in a letter that it is "not working properly at many places." He cited "crucial issues related to technological glitches, camera placement, sensors not working, and speakers not functioning."
“A stage-wise implementation that begins only in Delhi will not serve its intended purpose. It is highly likely to lead to vehicle owners procuring fuel from adjacent districts like Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad, thereby circumventing the ban and potentially fostering an illegal cross-border market for fuel, which would further exacerbate the problem,” he said, adding that the ANPR system is not implemented in the neighbouring areas.
He added that the Delhi government has been complying with the directions of the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court on implementing a ban on ELVs and deregistering them to ensure they do not ply on Delhi roads.