New Delhi: Delhi on Tuesday launched its citywide ban on dispensing fuel to overage vehicles, marking a significant push to curb pollution under directives issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). On Day 1 of the enforcement drive, 24 vehicles were impounded and 98 violations were flagged through surveillance, according to Delhi Transport Department officials.
As per the rules now in force, petrol pumps have been instructed not to supply fuel to diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years — categorised as end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) — in compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgement and earlier NGT orders.
Multi-agency enforcement teams — comprising Delhi Traffic Police, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and Transport officials — fanned out across the capital to ensure strict implementation. Of the 98 identified violations, 80 notices were issued — 45 by the Transport Department, 34 by Delhi Police, and one by MCD.
यह भी पढ़ें: Delhi Overage vehicles: दिल्ली में पुराने वाहनों पर फ्यूल बैन लागू, पहले दिन 24 वाहन जब्त
Most fuel stations, including those in Rohini, Lutyens’ Delhi, Moti Bagh, and Dhaula Kuan, reported smooth compliance. “Officers were deployed, banners were up, and staff were briefed well in advance,” said a manager at an IOCL station in Moti Bagh. However, minor glitches did occur — at one location, a valid vehicle was wrongly flagged as overage by the automated system, later cleared after document verification.
BPCL’s Vaibhav station in Vikas Puri saw a case where a car denied petrol under the ELV rule went ahead and filled CNG instead — a permissible exemption under current norms.
Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Ajay Chaudhary said, “This drive aims to reduce pollution and promote sustainable transport. From November 1, similar measures will apply to areas surrounding Delhi.” He urged residents not to operate ELVs and to cooperate with the fuel ban.
Vehicles identified as overage can be retrieved within 15 days from scrappers after paying a fine and obtaining an NOC for transfer to another state where they remain legally operable.
To support enforcement, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras have been installed at key fuel stations to detect ELVs in real time.
While the initiative drew general public cooperation, authorities acknowledged the need for tech upgrades to prevent false alerts and ensure seamless execution in the coming days.
