Fuel ban on ELVs in Delhi-NCR feferred to November 1

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Tuesday deferred the implementation of the fuel ban for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) in Delhi to November 1, aligning it with enforcement in five other districts of the National Capital Region (NCR), according to an official order issued by the agency.

In light of the technological challenges faced by the Delhi Government, particularly in the rollout of the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, CAQM amended Direction No. 89, which mandates fuel stations to deny fuel to ELVs.

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The restriction will now be enforced simultaneously across Delhi and five high vehicle density (HVD) districts in the NCR: Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Sonipat.

The agency stated that the revised timeline would provide the Delhi Government with additional time to address technical gaps and ensure uniform implementation of the fuel ban across the region.

Earlier, amid public backlash over the denial of fuel to ELVs at petrol pumps across Delhi, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Friday urged CAQM to put its April 23 directive on hold. The directive mandates fuel stations to deny fuel to ELVs.

In his official letter to CAQM, Sirsa raised concerns over the readiness of the ANPR systems installed at fuel stations. He cited technical glitches, improper camera placement, non-functional sensors and speakers, and a lack of integration with databases from neighbouring NCR states.

The Delhi Government had earlier announced its intention to approach the Supreme Court to seek a review of the ban on end-of-life vehicles, defined as diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years, arguing that scrappage decisions should be based on actual emissions rather than vehicle age.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday reaffirmed her government’s plan to move the Supreme Court to seek relief from the ban on refuelling ELVs in the capital, citing enforcement challenges. The government argued that Delhi should follow the same standards and regulations for ELVs as applied across the rest of the country.