- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has written to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), urging it to pause its directive that bans fuel sales to end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) in Delhi, ANI reported on Thursday.
The Delhi government has stated that enforcing the fuel ban on older vehicles—diesels over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old—is currently unfeasible due to technological issues and complex systems.
Sirsa requested the CAQM to indefinitely delay the enforcement of Direction No. 89 until the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system is fully operational across the National Capital Region (NCR). He expressed confidence that Delhi’s ongoing efforts will significantly improve air quality.
During a press conference, Sirsa mentioned that many people were unhappy with the move, and the government supports the concerns of the residents, PTI reported.
In April, the CAQM issued directives to fuel stations to stop dispensing fuel to ELVs from July 1. The rules define ELVs as diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old, regardless of whether they are registered in Delhi or not.
Official records show that Delhi has around 60.14 lakh deregistered ELVs, with many still actively in use. The VAHAN database indicates there are over 62 lakh ELVs in the city, including about 41 lakh two-wheelers and 18 lakh four-wheelers.
Last month, the Delhi government issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for enforcing the fuel ban. Petrol pumps must keep a log of all fuel transactions refused to such vehicles, either manually or digitally.
Petrol stations are also required to display signage stating, “Fuel will not be dispensed to End of Life Vehicles — i.e., 15 years old Petrol and CNG and 10 years old Diesel — effective 01.07.2025.” Staff at fuel stations should receive training on CAQM regulations to ensure proper compliance with the fuel denial process.
