Delhi govt. puts brakes on fuel ban for overage vehicles amid outcry

The Delhi government will work to clean the city’s air but will not allow the impounding of ‘end of life’ vehicles (ELVs), Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, citing public backlash and systemic challenges in enforcing the anti-pollution measure.

Mr. Sirsa said he had written to the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), urging a pause on its directive that mandated fuel stations to deny petrol or diesel to ELVs from July 1 and allowed their impounding using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

“We will clean Delhi’s environment, but we will not allow Delhiites’ vehicles to be impounded. This is the resolution of our Chief Minister Rekha Guptaji – her promise to the people,” he told reporters.

Ms. Gupta said the government would make “all efforts” to address problems related to the ELV ban. “The pain of Delhi people is understandable… Some are emotionally attached to vehicles gifted by loved ones, and such less-driven cars are keepsakes,” she said.

An official from Mr. Sirsa’s office confirmed that ANPR-based enforcement at fuel stations would not be implemented from Friday, though the government has not issued a formal order. In his letter to the CAQM, the Minister cited technological integration issues, lack of coordination with neighbouring States, and public discontent. He said the government is considering enforcement based on actual emissions, rather than vehicle age alone.

The CAQM’s April 23 directive had ordered that from July 1, ELVs identified via ANPR at Delhi fuel stations be denied fuel. The same rule was to take effect in five NCR districts from November 1 and across the rest of NCR from April 1, 2026. Initially, the Delhi government supported the move, with the Transport Department and traffic police impounding ELVs from fuel stations.

Mr. Sirsa had announced in March that ELVs would be barred from refuelling from April 1, but the plan was delayed due to incomplete ANPR installation. Even before CAQM’s July mandate, the Transport Department had been impounding ELVs spotted on the roads.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed public opposition forced the government’s U-turn. “The BJP government was simply hiding behind a court order. But when the people united and raised their voice, it had to withdraw,” said AAP’s Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj.

Mr. Sirsa, meanwhile, alleged that the AAP government took money from new car dealers and installed ANPR cameras to target older vehicles.

According to CAQM data, Delhi has nearly 62 lakh ELVs, while the rest of NCR has about 44 lakh. The National Green Tribunal banned ELVs across the NCR in 2015.

Ms. Gupta announced that the Supreme Court had accepted the government’s petition. In the National Capital Region (NCR), no immediate punitive action will be taken against owners of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years, she said.

“We will continue to firmly represent the interests of the people of Delhi by actively participating in the judicial process… This decision strengthens our resolve to maintain a balance between environmental protection and public convenience as we move towards a developed Delhi,” Ms. Gupta said in a statement.