Delhi’s Battle Against Pollution Suffers Setback as Old Vehicle Fuel Ban Halted

Delhi’s Battle Against Pollution Suffers Setback as Old Vehicle Fuel Ban Halted

RMN News Report Highlights:

RMN News Delhi Desk
July 4, 2025

NEW DELHI – In a significant turn of events, the Delhi government has temporarily suspended a controversial directive that sought to bar End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles from refueling at city petrol stations. This decision, announced on July 3rd by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, comes amidst widespread public outcry and legal challenges, raising concerns about the persistence of severe air pollution in the world’s most polluted national capital.

Delhi grapples with a grave air quality crisis, with thousands of its residents succumbing to pollution-related diseases annually. The alarming levels of smog often force the closure of schools to protect children from the hazardous air. The now-stalled directive was a step taken by the government to tackle vehicular pollution, specifically targeting older vehicles known to be major contributors to the city’s toxic air.

However, in a letter addressed to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), Minister Sirsa urged for the immediate suspension of Direction No. 89, highlighting “key operational challenges with the enforcement mechanism.” Sirsa cited several technical hurdles, including improper camera installation, a critical lack of data integration with neighboring states, and the absence of a fully functional Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system infrastructure outside Delhi.

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“We urge the Commission to put the implementation of Direction No. 89 on hold with immediate effect till the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system is seamlessly integrated across the entire NCR,” Sirsa stated, emphasizing that “Cross-border fuel procurement could rise as a result,” potentially fostering illegal fuel markets if the ban was enforced only in Delhi.

The directive, which aimed to enforce a 2018 Supreme Court ruling banning diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old, had sparked considerable discontent among vehicle owners and experts. Many questioned the efficacy and fairness of an age-based ban, arguing that a vehicle’s actual emission levels should be the primary criterion.

Adding to the government’s woes, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Delhi government and CAQM on a plea filed by the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association. The association argued that petrol dealers, as private operators, lack the legal authority to deny fuel and should not be burdened with government enforcement. They further contested the use of Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act to penalize dealers and deemed the current penalty structure for inadvertent lapses as “disproportionate and unreasonable,” especially given the daily footfall of thousands of vehicles at petrol stations.

While the Delhi government affirmed its commitment to improving air quality and expressed confidence in its “ongoing multi-pronged efforts,” the decision to put the EOL vehicle fuel ban on hold signals a temporary retreat in the direct fight against a significant source of pollution. With the ban now in limbo, the pervasive issue of air pollution in Delhi is set to persist, leaving residents to continue grappling with the health consequences of compromised air quality.