Delhi govt asks CAQM to hit breaks on fuel ban on old vehicles over tech, enforcement hurdles
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The BJP-led Delhi government on Thursday requested the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to suspend the enforcement of a proposed ban on supplying fuel to overage vehicles, citing significant technological and logistical hurdles In a letter addressed to the CAQM, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that implementing Direction No. 89 , which prohibits fuel dispensing to vehicles beyond their permissible age limits, is not feasible at this stage.'We urge the Commission to put the implementation of Direction No. 89 on hold with immediate effect till the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system is seamlessly integrated across the entire NCR,' the letter stated.The ban on the supply of fuel to overage vehicles kicked off in Delhi on Tuesday with heightened security arrangements.The transport department launched the drive at 6 am, deploying multiple teams from its own enforcement wing, Delhi Police, Traffic Police, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).According to officials, the drive is aimed at enforcing long-standing orders to curb vehicular emissions. A 2018 Supreme Court judgment had already prohibited diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years from operating in Delhi.A 2014 National Green Tribunal order also bars such vehicles from being parked in public spaces.To support enforcement, the CM Rekha Gupta-led government has installed Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at nearly 350 petrol pumps across the city. These AI-powered cameras, integrated with automated hooter systems, are designed to instantly identify vehicles that violate the age restrictions.Apart from automated systems, officials are also manually verifying vehicle details using centralised databases. Assistant Sub-Inspector Jagan Lal of Delhi Traffic Police told PTI that their teams were cross-checking registrations in real time.'The cameras will inform automatically, but our teams are also checking vehicles using our central database. The drive is being carried out jointly with local police and transport officials to ensure full compliance and maintain law and order,' he told the news agency.
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