New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) today announced a delay in the implementation of its directive to deny fuel to End-of-Life (EoL) vehicles in Delhi and surrounding NCR districts.
CAQM Chairperson Rajesh Verma chaired the marathon meeting held here on 8 July.
The decision comes after the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD) flagged significant technological and operational challenges.
Under the amended Direction No. 89, EoL vehicles (diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years) will now be denied fuel from November 1, 2025, in the NCT of Delhi and five high-vehicle-density districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida), and Sonipat. The ban will extend to the rest of the NCR from April 1, 2026.
Initially, the fuel denial was set to begin earlier this month. However, GNCTD highlighted issues with the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, including glitches, camera placement problems, and a lack of integration with databases from neighboring states. They also expressed concern that a phased implementation could lead to vehicle owners circumventing the ban by refueling in nearby areas, potentially creating an illegal fuel market.
The Chief Secretary of GNCTD further raised legal and equitable concerns, citing Section 59 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the potential hardship for middle-class citizens whose vehicles are deemed EoL based solely on age, without considering fitness or actual emission performance.
While CAQM emphasized the necessity of phasing out polluting EoL vehicles as per Supreme Court and NGT orders, the amendment aims to provide GNCTD more time to refine the ANPR system and ensure a more synchronized enforcement across the region.
Transport Departments of Delhi and NCR states have been directed to ensure proper ANPR system installation, conduct trials, train personnel, and widely publicize the new timeline to all stakeholders. Monthly reports on EoL vehicle liquidation efforts will be submitted to the Commission.