The Delhi government on Tuesday welcomed the Centre for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) decision to defer the implementation of the fuel ban on overage vehicles until November 1. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the "commendable decision" taken in public interest reflects a balanced and humane approach towards environmental concerns and citizens' livelihoods. "The CAQM issuing revised guidelines on the request of the Delhi government is an important and commendable decision that has been taken keeping in mind the public interest. The government welcomes this," the chief minister said in a post in Hindi on X.
दिल्ली सरकार के निवेदन पर कमीशन फॉर एयर क्वालिटी मैनेजमेंट (CAQM) द्वारा जारी संशोधित दिशा-निर्देश जनता के हितों को ध्यान में रखते हुए लिया गया एक महत्वपूर्ण और सराहनीय निर्णय है। सरकार इसका स्वागत करती है।
— Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) July 8, 2025
CAQM द्वारा 1 नवंबर तक जो समय प्रदान किया गया है, उसका उपयोग हम… pic.twitter.com/XXQ8iA377I
She said the Delhi government will use the time given by CAQM to provide further relief to residents and work collaboratively toward a long-term and practical solution.
"As much as it is necessary to protect the environment, it is equally important that no decision affects the livelihood and dignity of common citizens," she added.
Also Read - Suzuki Hayabusa's High-Speed Crash Into Delivery Rider Ends In Tragedy: Video
Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa lauded the CAQM's decision, calling it a "major relief" for the people of the city.
"After our request, CAQM has shown sensitivity towards the concerns of the people. This is a big relief for Delhiites," he said.
The Centre's panel on air quality in Delhi-NCR on Tuesday decided to put on hold the implementation of the fuel ban on end-of-life (EOL) or overage vehicles in the national capital until November 1.
EOL vehicles are diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years.
According to directions issued earlier, such vehicles are not to be given fuel in Delhi from July 1, irrespective of the states they are registered in.
Sirsa had last week requested the CAQM to withhold action against such vehicles, calling the move "premature and potentially counterproductive", citing "operational and infrastructural challenges".
Reiterating the government's commitment to improving air quality in the capital, the minister said the fight against pollution will continue, but vehicle bans must be guided by science and data rather than arbitrary age limits.
"Polluting vehicles must be banned, but not just because they are old. We will conduct proper studies to assess actual pollution levels and will approach the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) with our findings. Any policy must be based on emission data, not age," he said.
He also raised serious concerns over the scrapping of nearly 80,000 vehicles during the previous administration. "There is no proper scrapping facility in Delhi. We want to know where those vehicles went. A thorough inquiry will be initiated into this," he said.
Additionally, fuel stations in Delhi have installed Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to detect EOL vehicles.
The camera reads the number plate of vehicles entering fuel stations and instantly checks with the central VAHAN database, which shows details like the vehicle's age, fuel type and registration.
If the vehicle is found to be EOL, the system alerts the fuel station staff not to refuel it. The violation is recorded and sent to enforcement agencies, who are then required to take action such as impounding and scrapping the vehicle.
However, public discontent and outcry over the move prompted the Delhi government to request the CAQM to halt the implementation of the move.
The installation of ANPR cameras in the five high-density districts is to be completed by October 31.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
