By ABP Live News
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has formally requested the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to suspend the enforcement of Direction No. 89, which would deny fuel to End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles in the capital starting July 1. In a detailed letter, Sirsa highlighted critical technological shortcomings and practical challenges, stressing that premature implementation could backfire.
In a press briefing, the Delhi Environment Minister stated, “We have informed them that the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras that were installed are not a robust system, and there are still many challenges with them. Technical glitches, non-working sensors, and malfunctioning speakers: all these challenges are there. It has not been integrated with the NCR data yet. It is not able to identify HSRP plates. We also said that such a law has not been implemented in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad and the rest of NCR till now”, news agency ANI reported.
#WATCH | Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa writes to the Commission for Air Quality Management to place on hold the direction which mandates the denial of fuel to End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles in DelhiHe says, “We have informed them that the Automatic Number Plate… pic.twitter.com/pNiFt7R0Ec
— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2025
The letter underscores significant issues with the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, which is intended to identify EOL vehicles at fuel stations. While cameras have been installed at most petrol pumps, Sirsa pointed out “crucial issues related to technological glitches, camera placement, sensors not working, speakers not functioning, etc.” Moreover, the system is not yet robust enough to integrate with databases of neighbouring National Capital Region (NCR) states or accurately identify vehicles with problematic High Security Registration Plates (HSRP). According to Sirsa, “these issues require proper trial and error corrections before the same can be implemented in Delhi.”
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa writes to the Commission for Air Quality Management to place on hold the enforcement of Direction No. 89, which mandates the denial of fuel to End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles in Delhi”We urge the Commission to put the implementation… pic.twitter.com/mgg1Ymdaes
— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2025
Delhi Govt Flags Risk of Fuel Purchase From Nearby Districts
Highlighting potential loopholes, the Delhi government warned that enforcing the ban solely within Delhi would prompt vehicle owners to buy fuel from bordering districts like Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad, undermining the initiative’s effectiveness. “A stage-wise implementation that begins only in Delhi will not serve its intended purpose,” the letter states. The absence of ANPR installations in neighbouring areas would also impede seamless integration, creating opportunities for circumvention and possibly fuelling an illegal cross-border fuel trade.
The Delhi government argued that its ongoing multi-pronged efforts should be given time to yield results before enforcing the ban. According to the letter, these initiatives include planting approximately 70 lakh trees and shrubs, exploring cloud seeding technology, and strengthening the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certification regime, particularly for vehicles entering Delhi from other states. Measures like mandatory anti-smog guns on high-rise buildings, mechanised road cleaning with integrated sprinklers, and registration requirements for large construction sites have also been rolled out.
The government is additionally developing a system to send preventive SMS alerts to owners of vehicles approaching the end of their lifespan, both within Delhi and in neighbouring states, to discourage EOL vehicles from entering the NCR. However, as the letter cautioned, “because of the technological inconsistencies of this extremely complex system and lack of integration with neighbouring states, there is public discontent and outcry.”
Sirsa concluded the letter with an appeal to defer Direction No. 89’s implementation until the ANPR system is fully integrated across the entire NCR, stating: “We strongly urge the Commission to put the implementation of Direction No. 89 on hold with immediate effect till the ANPR system is seamlessly integrated across the entire NCR. We are confident that the ongoing multi-pronged efforts of the Delhi Government will achieve substantial improvements in air quality.”
Vehicles Impounded Petrol Pumps Comply As Delhi Fuel Ban
From July 1, the Delhi government began enforcing the prohibition on fuelling vehicles deemed end-of-life (EoL) — specifically, diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles older than 15 years — in line with court orders. The Transport Department, Delhi Police, and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have been actively impounding such vehicles at petrol stations. According to officials, 80 vehicles were seized on the first day: 45 by the Transport Department, 34 by the police, and one by the MCD. Several petrol pumps reported either minimal or no incidents of overaged vehicles attempting to refuel, news agency PTI reported.
Petrol stations like Sai Ram Filling Station and IOCL outlets in Rohini confirmed they had not faced issues, while stations in Lutyens’ Delhi and Moti Bagh described smooth enforcement. An employee at a station near Dhaula Kuan explained that even without police presence, staff were prepared to deny fuel to EoL vehicles, adding that “the government was helpful throughout the process.”
The enforcement relied on automatic number plate reader cameras installed at petrol stations to detect EoL vehicles. However, technical glitches caused valid vehicles to be mistakenly flagged. A petrol pump on Pusa Road saw a Hyundai I-10 wrongly identified as overaged, but after verification of documents, the car was allowed to proceed.
At the BPCL Vaibhav station in Vikas Puri, a driver of an overaged vehicle switched to CNG refuelling instead of petrol. Officials clarified that EoL vehicles running on CNG are exempt from action. Meanwhile, fewer vehicles were impounded on the second day — only seven in total — as petrol pumps reported reduced traffic, according to the Delhi Petrol Dealers’ Association president Nischal Singhania, as per PTI.
AAP Blasts ‘Tughlaqi Farman’, Accuses BJP of Pro-Corporate Agenda
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a scathing attack on the Delhi BJP government, calling the directive to remove approximately 60 lakh vehicles older than 10 years a “Tughlaqi diktat” intended to benefit automobile manufacturers at the cost of ordinary citizens. According to an official release cited by ANI, Leader of Opposition Atishi demanded transparency from the BJP on the donations it allegedly received from car manufacturers.
Atishi said, “The BJP government has imposed a ‘Tughlaqi Farman’ aimed solely at harassing Delhiites. Under this order, vehicles older than 10 years will be denied fuel and will be forced off the roads. This means 62 lakh vehicles will have to be removed overnight—40 lakh two-wheelers and 20 lakh four-wheelers.”
Highlighting the plight of workers, she added, “Most working-class people in Delhi rely on two-wheelers to commute to their offices. How are these 40 lakh motorcyclists supposed to reach work now?”
Atishi questioned the rationale behind the policy, asserting that vehicle age does not directly correlate with pollution levels: “The age of a vehicle has nothing to do with the pollution it causes. Well-maintained vehicles, even if old, do not emit pollution.”
Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia also criticised the policy, writing on X that “even children in Delhi have realised that BJP leaders have no idea how to run a government.” Sisodia argued that the order forces residents to drive further distances to border petrol stations, worsening pollution and congestion: “Tell me, isn’t this increasing pollution, traffic congestion, and the suffering of the common man?”