The Delhi government is set to launch an 'End of Life Vehicle' (EOLV) campaign in the capital from July 1st to control pollution. Under this special initiative, the government plans to remove diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years from the roads. These vehicles will no longer receive fuel, and they may be impounded if necessary. Special monitoring teams will be deployed at petrol pumps to ensure compliance with these regulations.
However, the government has decided to provide relief to CNG vehicles, exempting them from this strictness for now. According to Transport Commissioner, Niharika Rai, no action will be taken against CNG vehicles, and no teams will be deployed at CNG stations for this purpose. The government states that a large number of public transport and private vehicles in the capital rely on CNG, hence no immediate harsh measures are being taken. A further decision will be made later based on the pollution levels and the prevailing circumstances.
Old Vehicles to be Identified by ANPR Cameras
To curb the rising pollution in Delhi, the government is now taking strict measures against old vehicles. Under the directives of the Supreme Court, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras are being installed at major petrol pumps in the capital, which will identify diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years. As soon as such a vehicle enters a petrol pump, the camera will scan its number plate and track its details in the system.
Subsequently, such vehicles will be directly denied fuel, and the transport department teams will take action to impound the vehicle on the spot. As per the rules, vehicles that have exceeded their specified age limit will be scrapped. This step has been taken under the 'End of Life Vehicle' policy and the Supreme Court's guidelines to remove polluting vehicles from the roads and clean the air of Delhi.
What will be the role of Traffic Police?
The Delhi government is launching the 'End of Life Vehicle' (EOLV) campaign from July 1st, under which strict action will be taken against diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years. The administration is in full alert mode regarding this campaign. There is apprehension that when these old vehicles are denied fuel, a situation of dispute or tension may arise at some petrol pumps. In such a scenario, the Delhi Traffic Police and the Transport Department have made extensive preparations to maintain law and order.
Joint Commissioner of Delhi Traffic Police, Ajay Chaudhary, said that all petrol pumps in the capital have been categorized based on sensitivity. Police personnel will be deployed 24 hours a day at places with a higher probability of crowds and protests. Security personnel will be deployed at relatively peaceful pumps as per the situation. The police have also identified pumps where there is a higher presence of old vehicles, so that action can be taken in time and no chaos is created in any situation.
Will action be taken in other cities of NCR as well?
While strict action is being initiated against old diesel and petrol vehicles under the 'End of Life Vehicle' policy implemented in Delhi from July 1st, the other cities of NCR—Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Sonipat—are currently outside the scope of this. ANPR cameras have been installed at petrol pumps in the capital, which will identify vehicles that have exceeded their age limit and prevent them from refueling, but such a system will only be implemented in the border cities by November 1, 2025. This raises concerns that old vehicles may now try to go outside Delhi to refuel to avoid the rules.
Can action also be taken on the roads?
Under the 'End of Life Vehicle' campaign in Delhi, ANPR cameras have been activated at petrol pumps, but such cameras have not yet been installed on the city's borders and major roads, which can identify the age and registration of moving vehicles in real-time. Currently, the identification of old diesel and petrol vehicles is limited to petrol pumps. However, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has indicated that high-tech cameras will be installed soon in the border areas of Delhi, which will be capable of monitoring old vehicles as well as heavy vehicles that emit more pollution than the standard.
