The Delhi government initially planned to implement the policy on April 1, but the deadline was missed as there were no equipment installed in all locations.
Delhi has 477 fuel-replenished stations equipped with a system to detect the age of vehicles, and the government has formulated a policy of “excess vehicles without fuel” to curb air pollution.
As of now, senior environmental officials told PTI that as of now, 372 gasoline pumps and 105 CNG supplemental stations have been installed, and the rest will be added to the ship within the next 10 to 15 days.
He said the government is expected to implement the system by the end of April.
The Delhi government initially planned to implement the policy on April 1, but the deadline was missed as there were no equipment installed in all locations.
“We have completed the installation of the equipment at the 477 fuel replenishment station, with only 23 left. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa are closely monitoring the process. At the end of this month, a full rollout will take place,” added the environmental department official.
Earlier, Sirsa stressed that the government was working to complete the process on time, but added that the rollout was slightly delayed than just partial implementations.
In March, the Delhi government unveiled its plan to provide petrol and diesel for vehicles over 15 and over 10 respectively. The city has 500 fuel recharge stations.
The move aims to curb vehicle emissions and inspect air pollution in cities, which remains an ongoing challenge for residents.
In order to implement the “Full-free vehicle” policy, an automatic digital board recognition (ANPR) camera is being installed, which will determine the age of the vehicle based on its registration year.
These cameras will also detect whether the vehicle is under control of the Valid Contamination (PUC) certificate. If the vehicle is marked as overdue or does not comply with the pollution code, the gasoline pump attendant will be alerted and refuse to refuel.
“Our purpose is to ensure all enforcement. We don’t want it to work in some pumps rather than others. Every station is equipped and we will launch the program citywide,” Sirsa said.
The government’s ruling coincides with a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that bans diesel vehicles over 10 and petrol vehicles over 15 in Delhi. The 2014 National Green Court Order prohibits parking vehicles over the age of 15 in public areas.
In 2024, the Delhi government issued a detailed guide to handling end-of-life vehicles, noting that these vehicles can only be released after the necessary approval is obtained, only if the owner transfers them to a private place or registers in another state.
(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and published from PTI)
