62 Lakh Vehicles Won't Get Petrol, Diesel In Delhi From Today
Don't be surprised if you see posters stating "Fuel will not be dispensed to 'end of life' vehicles" at fuel stations in Delhi starting today. In its effort to curb air pollution, the Delhi government has enforced a fuel ban for 'end-of-life' or overage vehicles, that is, petrol vehicles aged 15 years or older and diesel vehicles aged 10 years or older.
Vehicles are the top polluters in the national capital Delhi, accounting for more than half (51 per cent) of the pollution from all local emission sources, according to an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), released in November 2024.
Keeping this in mind, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued Statutory Direction No 89, enforcing stringent measures against end-of-life vehicles of all types (goods carrier, commercial, vintage, two-wheelers) across the NCR.
This move will affect around 62 lakh vehicles (61,14,728) in Delhi alone. There are 27.5 lakh overaged vehicles (as of March 2025) in Haryana, 12.69 lakh in Uttar Pradesh and 6.2 lakh in Rajasthan.
How Would The Ban Be Implemented
The Transport Department has chalked out a deployment plan, involving Delhi Police, Traffic Police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) personnel at fuel stations reporting a high volume of visitors with overaged vehicles.
Delhi Police personnel will be deployed in fuel stations numbered 1 to 100, while the Transport Department will mobilise 59 exclusive teams across fuel stations numbered 101 to 159.
One traffic police officer will be stationed at each of the 350 identified petrol pumps to monitor and prevent the refuelling of old vehicles.
Two additional police personnel will be deployed at each petrol pump to maintain law and order during the enforcement drive.
End-of-life vehicles will be identified by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, which have been installed at 498 fuel stations. The cameras, integrated with the VAHAN database, will cross-verify number plates and alert the fuel station operator. This vehicle will also be shared with enforcement agencies for impounding and scrapping of old vehicles.
On-Ground Concerns And Reality
Nischal Singhania, a Delhi petrol dealer, believes that a trial run should have been conducted before implementing a big scheme like this. "How long would the enforcement team stay? 30 days, 60 days, 90 days? How do we handle the situation after that? There is also a fear of missing a vehicle, as we would be penalised. This scheme should be rolled out simultaneously across NCR."
Mohit, a commuter, shared similar thoughts and suggested a trial run lasting 15 to 30 days. "It could be an issue for people who are not aware of this move. A week-long trial would have helped. Nothing has been done to create awareness among people, especially those who are uneducated. Those transiting through Delhi will be badly affected."
NDTV visited one of the fuel stations in Delhi's Green Park, where the staff claimed they had not been trained on how to implement the move and deny fuel to violators.
"There are many old vehicles that are well-maintained and may not be harmful to the environment. What about those? There should be a proper check in place, otherwise it will burn a hole in people's pockets. Also, all drivers should have a valid PUCC (Pollution Under Control Certificate)," said a two-wheeler rider.
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