03-07-2025
Delhi pauses fuel ban on old vehicles, to come out with new policy
The Delhi government has written to the pollution control body to hold onto the decision which mandates the denial of fuel to End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles in Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, in a letter to the Commission for Air Quality Management, sought hold the enforcement of Direction No. 89."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. We are confident that the ongoing multi-pronged efforts of the Delhi Government will achieve substantial improvements in air quality," reads the letter shared by news agency
In his letter, Sirsa highlighted several operational barriers, including:Technological glitches and improper camera placement in the ANPR system used to identify of integration with databases from neighboring NCR states, making uniform enforcement ANPR systems in adjacent states, which hampers coordinated implementation across the of cross-border fuel procurement, as a phased rollout limited to Delhi may prompt vehicle owners to refuel in nearby districts, fostering illegal fuel MP Parvesh Verma has raised concerns over the implementation of the End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) rule in Delhi, pointing to widespread problems with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and the practical challenges they present.'There are a lot of problems regarding ANPR implementation. ANPR is not easy,' Verma said, adding that the Delhi government is expected to meet with the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to discuss the also questioned the rationale behind the age-based vehicle ban, stating, 'Vehicles should be banned by looking at their pollution status and not their age.' He further noted that the rule is not being applied in neighbouring areas like Gurugram and Noida. 'When it will be implemented in NCR, we will consider implementing it,' he the Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Delhi government and the CAQM on a plea filed by the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association challenging the enforcement of the ELV rule at fuel per the latest directive, starting July 1, petrol pumps across Delhi have been ordered to stop supplying fuel to ELVs, under instructions from CAQM. The enforcement strategy is being overseen by the Delhi Transport Department, with assistance from Delhi Police and traffic the petrol dealers have contested the order, arguing they are being forced to carry out enforcement duties without any legal mandate. 'In essence, petrol pump dealers are being required to enforce the directions for which they do not have any authority in law, and then they are also being penalised for any non-compliance which may happen due to sheer inadvertence,' argued advocates Anand Varma, Adyasha Nanda, and Apoorva Pandey on behalf of the association.- EndsMust Watch
