Told CAQM of challenges, implementation flaws in directive on denying fuel to end-of-life vehicles: Delhi Minister Sirsa

New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): Delhi Environment Miniter Manjinder Singh Sira on Monday flagged challenge and implementation flaw in the CAQM order that put a ban on fuel for end-of-life vehicle in the national capital, tating that the proce hould be fair.
In an interview with ANI, the Delhi Miniter aid there are operational and infratructural challenge in implementing the Commiion for Air Quality Management (CAQM) direction concerning the fuel ban on end-of-life vehicle.
Delhi government lat week urged CAQM to paue the implementation of it direction. Chief Miniter Rekha Gupta aid that the deciion i linked to the daily live and livelihood of million of familie, and there i a need for reconideration. The directive to top fuel upply to end-of-life vehicle took effect on July 1.
Kejriwal (AAP) government in Delhi decided to put up the camera and identify (end-of-life) vehicle from it. After it wa communicated to CAQM, they informed the ame to the Supreme Court. The top court termed it a a good move and told them to implement it. CAQM iued an order to implement thi from July 1, Sira aid.
Two thing were there --- on one ide, there wa the order of February 2024 of the Delhi government which aid that when they will eize the end-of-life vehicle, initially they will only be fined, and a chance will be given to them to take the vehicle outide Delhi. Contrary to that, in 2025, they iued a different order and aid camera would be placed and vehicle would be eized on the pot. So, now, which rule hould be implemented?... Now, we have told CAQM that there are challenge in thi order. The proce of eizing car on bai of camera i wrong; technically, there i a flaw in it, he added.
Sira talked in detail about the implementation challenge.
For example, there are two vehicle (end-of-life) at the petrol pump, one can be eized and another cant? Why? Becaue vehicle with high-ecurity number plate are being identified with camera, but vehicle without it are not being identified. Thi i unfair... Secondly, petrol and dieel i available in Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad, o, in that cae, the order hould be implemented everywhere, he aid.
CAQM had iued direction that dieel vehicle older than 10 year and petrol vehicle older than 15 year cannot get fuel in Delhi fuel tation from July 1.
From July 1, all End-of-Life (EoL) vehicle identified through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera intalled at fuel tation acro Delhi will not be allowed to refuel, the direction aid.
Sira noted that the Delhi government i looking for meaure to reolve the iue.
I do not agree with the word end-of-life. I dont know how it wa generated... Delhi i the only place where there i concept of end-of-life. How wa it decided?... If a vehicle i end-of-life in Delhi, the moment it goe outide Delhi, it become a regular vehicle. How i thi poible? It will end the concept of vintage car too. Nobody can have vintage car, then... We are looking for way to reolve the iue, he aid.
We (Delhi government) didnt iue any order, it wa CAQM order. We have requeted them not to implement till it i implemented in neighbouring tate too, he added.
Sira wrote CAQM lat week eeking a hold on the directive banning fuel ale to end-of-life vehicle in the national capital.
Sira, wrote that certain iue needed to be addreed before the order could be fully implemented.
The Government of Delhi i fully aligned with the Commiion objective to phae out older, polluting vehicle and ha implemented a comprehenive Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025 to thi end, the letter aid.
He argued that immediate implementation may be premature and potentially counterproductive.
A tage-wie implementation that begin only in Delhi will not erve it intended purpoe. It i highly likely to lead to vehicle owner procuring fuel from adjacent ditrict like Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad, thereby circumventing the ban and potentially fotering an illegal cro-border market for fuel, which would further exacerbate the problem, the letter aid
ANPR ytem i not implemented in the neighbouring tate, which will again be an iue in the effective integration of the ytem with the ytem of neighbouring tate, a and when the ame i implemented. So far a our knowledge i concerned, neighbouring ditrict have not yet tarted intallation of ANPR camera in the fuel tation, it added. (ANI)