'10-Year-Old Cars Are Bad, But 40-Year-Old Jets Are Okay?': Ex-IAF Officer On Delhi Fuel Policy

News18

3 days ago

Last Updated:
Soon after the Delhi government had announced its fuel ban policy, intitally effective from July 1, ex-IAF officer Sanjeev Kapoor took to social media to criticise the measure
A sweeping ban announced previously by the Delhi government on fuel sales to older vehicles had ignited a fierce public debate online, with a retired Indian Air Force officer questioning the very logic behind the move. The fuel ban, intitally effective from July 1, was aimed to prohibit petrol stations from selling fuel to cars older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years.
Soon after, former IAF officer Sanjeev Kapoor took to social media to criticise the measure. 'We are still flying aircraft that are over 40 years old," Kapoor wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding, 'Many of our trains, buses, boats, ferries and commercial planes in daily use are more than three decades old. So why are restrictions being imposed only on personal vehicles?"
Kapoor's post struck a chord with many online, sparking sharp reactions from Delhi residents already grappling with the policy's implications. With over 62 lakh vehicles in the national capital now falling under the ban, queues at scrapyards and registration offices have lengthened dramatically in recent days.
The Delhi government had defended its move by citing air quality concerns. According to a November 2024 report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), vehicles contribute more than 51% of the city's emissions from local sources, making them the largest single contributor to pollution in the capital.
Efforts like the CNG rollout, bans on older diesel buses, and the enforcement of Bharat Stage VI emission norms have been in place for years. Yet, the CSE report noted, Delhi's air quality continues to worsen, especially during winter months when crop burning, construction dust, and vehicle emissions combine to choke the city.
This fuel ban, authorities claimed, was a bold attempt to stem the crisis. To enforce it, over 350 petrol pumps in Delhi had been equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. These cameras were linked to the central VAHAN database, and instantly flagged vehicles that were no longer eligible for fuel refills.
However, the Delhi government on Thursday, July 3, urged the Centre's air quality panel to immediately suspend the fuel ban on overage vehicles and said it will make 'all out efforts" to resolve issues related to restrictions on the movement of end-of-life vehicles on city roads. In his letter to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) chairman Rajesh Verma, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the fuel ban is not feasible and cannot be implemented due to technological challenges. This move came three days after the ban came into effect in the national capital. No overage vehicle was impounded by the traffic police and transport department teams on Thursday.
For many, however, the policy had appeared harsh and sudden, especially for those who relied on well-maintained personal vehicles that still function efficiently. 'Not everyone can afford an EV or a new car," said Rajeev Sharma, a south Delhi resident whose 12-year-old diesel SUV had become practically unusable according to the ban.
Critics had also argued the ban disproportionately affected middle-class families and small business owners, while sparing commercial fleets and public transport systems running older vehicles.