Pause on ELV fuel ban may figure at CAQM meet tomorrow, says Sirsa

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Monday that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is expected to discuss Delhi’s letter seeking a pause on the fuel ban for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) at its meeting on Tuesday, which will focus on pollution issues in the NCR.

“We cannot permit fueling of ELVs at this stage,” Sirsa told reporters, adding, “But we are hopeful that tomorrow’s meeting will bring constructive decisions that serve the interests of Delhi residents.”

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The minister highlighted Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s resolve to address the issue of overage vehicles, noting her willingness to take an “all-out efforts” approach — including reaching out to the Supreme Court and even the National Green Tribunal to revisit the ELV concept in light of recent studies.

Sirsa slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for scrapping nearly 80,000 vehicles in the past year, alleging that the move caused significant inconvenience to vehicle owners. He questioned whether the vehicles lacked valid pollution under control (PUC) certificates and raised concerns over where and how the scrapping was carried out.

Raising doubts about the credibility of the scrapping operations under AAP’s rule, Sirsa asked on what grounds the vehicles were seized, where the dismantling took place, and whether adequate compensation was given to owners. “Residents of Delhi were ripped off,” he said.

“Was there a nexus between AAP leaders and local scrap dealers?” Sirsa asked, citing complaints that vehicle owners received meagre payouts—just ₹30,000-40,000 for cars valued at ₹1 lakh. “Where were the dismantled parts being sent? And where were the vehicles scrapped, considering there is no registered vehicle scrapping facility (RVSF) in the capital as of now?” he alleged.

Meanwhile, citizens have voiced concerns over the practice of retiring vehicles solely based on age rather than their condition. Facing mounting criticism, Cabinet ministers of the national capital wrote to the CAQM on July 3, urging a halt to the fuel ban for ELVs. They cited technical glitches and the lack of data integration with NCR cities as major hurdles in rolling out the directive.