No Fuel For End-Of-Life Vehicles From 1 July In National Capital Territory

(MENAFN- Live Mint) New Delhi: Vehicles nearing the end of their life will not be allowed to fill fuel from 1 July in the national capital territory of Delhi, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Wednesday.

According to the order, made in response to worsening air quality, the restriction will extend to five high vehicle density (HVD) districts -- Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Sonipat – from 1 November.

In the rest of the national capital region, the rule will apply from 1 April 2026.

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As of March 2025, the estimated number of overaged vehicles in Delhi is over 6.1 million, while Haryana had 2.7 million, UP 1.28 million and Rajasthan 621,000.

The air quality in the capital deteriorated to 'poor' on Wednesday after being 'moderate' for the past few days. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the Air Quality Index was recorded at 168 around 9 pm on April 23. This means that the air quality may pose a moderate health risk to sensitive groups like children, the elderly, and those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.

The National Green Tribunal on 7 April 2015, directed that diesel vehicles above 10 years old and petrol vehicles above 15 years old shall not be permitted to ply in the NCR. The Supreme Court while ratifying the order also directed on 29 October 2O18 that such vehicles shall not ply in NCR.

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The vehicles will be identified through ANPR (Automated Number Plate Recognition) cameras or other such systems installed at the fuel pump stations. The cameras are in the process of being installed at all 520 fueling stations in the city.

These cameras, besides capturing and displaying the registration details of all the vehicles that enter the premises of the fueling station, also have a provision of integration with the VAHAN database. The system also has a provision for an audio message which is relayed in respect of such non-compliant vehicles entering the premises of the fueling station.

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Also, considering the high pollution load from commercial vehicles and the associated ill-effects of emission owing to such vehicles entering into Delhi, the Commission has also directed for a strict ban on the entry of all transport and commercial goods vehicles into Delhi from 1 November 2025.

Only Delhi-registered BS-VI, CNG, LNG and EVs vehicles will be allowed.

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