Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 30: In a landmark step to curb vehicular pollution, the Delhi government will, starting Tuesday, enforce a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel to vehicles that have exceeded their permitted age limits — commonly termed end-of-life (EoL) vehicles. The ban, aimed at improving air quality in the Capital, will be implemented through advanced surveillance systems at fuel stations across the city.

According to officials, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras linked to the Transport Department’s central database have already been installed at multiple fuel pumps. These AI-enabled systems will scan vehicle number plates and flag those that exceed permissible age limits — petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles (personal) older than 10 years.

Sanjay Dedha, a petrol pump manager in Vivek Vihar, confirmed the setup was in place and would go live Tuesday. “We’re prepared to implement the government’s directive. If the system lags or doesn’t flag a vehicle, we’ll manually check and deny fuel to over-age vehicles,” he said.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed that no fuel be dispensed to flagged vehicles from July 1 onwards in Delhi. Pump operators who violate this order may also face punitive action.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa described the move as part of a broader clean air initiative. “Delhi will not be defined by landfills or smog. Our goal is zero waste mountains, minimum dust, and cleaner air in every neighbourhood,” he stated.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta echoed that sentiment, highlighting Delhi’s push towards electric mobility. “We are rapidly transitioning public transport to electric vehicles to ensure clean, affordable commuting options and a greener Delhi,” she posted on X.

Officials from the Transport Department clarified that EoL vehicles include all unregistered or age-expired vehicles regardless of fuel type, including petrol, diesel, and CNG. The move comes amid growing concerns over pollution in the city and aims to build a more sustainable transport ecosystem using real-time digital enforcement.