After backlash, Delhi Govt halts fuel denial policy for old vehicles
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, in a detailed letter to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), formally requested that the rollout of Direction No. 89 — scheduled to begin July 1 — be placed on hold.
The letter cites a range of unresolved technical failures, systemic loopholes and regional coordination challenges that, if left unaddressed, could undermine the very objective of the directive.
The decision comes as a significant relief for lakhs of vehicle owners in Delhi, many of whom had been facing the prospect of sudden disruption in mobility and added financial burden.
As per the proposed implementation, petrol pumps across Delhi were to stop supplying fuel to vehicles identified as End-of-Life (EOL) through ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) systems.
Sirsa, speaking at a press conference on Thursday, admitted that while the intent to reduce vehicular pollution is critical, the execution must be “practical, fair and technologically sound”.
In his letter, he wrote, “There are crucial issues related to technological glitches, camera placement, non-working sensors and malfunctioning speakers.” He added that the system is not yet integrated with NCR databases and struggles to identify high-security registration plates, severely hampering its effectiveness.
Moreover, the Delhi Government expressed concern over the asymmetrical implementation of the ban. “A stage-wise implementation that begins only in Delhi will not serve its intended purpose. It is highly likely to lead to vehicle owners procuring fuel from adjacent districts like Gurugram, Faridabad and Ghaziabad, thereby circumventing the ban and potentially fostering an illegal cross-border market for fuel, which would further exacerbate the problem,” Sirsa wrote.
The government also said a blanket enforcement, without addressing these issues, would generate unnecessary public discontent. “It is not feasible to implement this system where fuel is being denied to EOL vehicles identified through ANPR installed at petrol pumps in Delhi,” the letter reads.
In its plea, the Delhi Government has asked CAQM to defer Direction No. 89 until the ANPR infrastructure is seamlessly integrated across NCR and all technical deficiencies are resolved.
The rollback came just hours after AAP leaders, led by former Delhi minister Manish Sisodia, launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government. Sisodia alleged that the fuel ban was designed to benefit automobile manufacturers by forcing around 61 lakh families to buy new vehicles.
“These vehicle owners are weeping tears of blood. Many of these vehicles are well-maintained, some haven’t even crossed 20,000 km. Pollution norms are being followed, but the BJP’s ‘Phulera Panchayat’ says no petrol or diesel,” he said.
Delhi