Days after implementing a ban on supplying fuel to end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), the Delhi Government has written to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) requesting a hold on the implementation of the Commission's directive mandating the denial of fuel to ELVs in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas.

Delhi Environment Minister Sardar Majinder Singh Sirsa stated that implementation of the ban involves operational and infrastructure-related challenges.

In accordance with the CAQM directive issued earlier this year in response to increasing air pollution, the Delhi Government began enforcing the ban on refuelling ELVs from 1st July.

ELVs, defined as diesel vehicles older than ten years and petrol vehicles older than fifteen years, are no longer permitted to purchase fuel within the city.

The Transport Department and Delhi Traffic Police have been impounding ELVs found attempting to refuel at petrol stations.

"It is not feasible to implement this order at this juncture. In fact, immediate implementation of the direction may be premature and potentially counterproductive," Sirsa stated in the letter. "We strongly urge the Commission to put the implementation of Direction No. 89 NCR on hold."

To enforce the ban, ELVs are identified using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras installed at fuel stations in Delhi.

These cameras scan vehicle number plates and cross-reference them with data from the Government's VAHAN portal. The ANPR system is programmed to flag vehicles that either do not have a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) or have been deregistered as ELVs.

Sirsa's letter also pointed to operational issues with the ANPR system, stating that it is "not working properly at many places." He identified issues such as camera misalignment, malfunctioning sensors, and non-operational speakers.

He further stated that phased implementation limited to Delhi could reduce the measure's effectiveness, as vehicle owners might obtain fuel from adjacent districts including Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad, where the ANPR system is not currently deployed. According to the letter, this could result in cross-border fuel purchases that may complicate enforcement.

Sirsa also stated that the Delhi Government has been acting in compliance with directives issued by the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court to ban ELVs and deregister them in order to prevent their operation within the city.