'Put it on hold': Delhi government pushes back on fuel ban for older vehicles; writes to pollution control body

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday asked the Commission for Air Quality Management to immediately suspend Direction No. 89 , which bars fuel stations from providing fuel to End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles in Delhi.

In a letter to the Commission, Sirsa said the order should be put on hold until the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system is fully implemented across the National Capital Region (NCR). He claimed that the Delhi government is already working on several fronts to tackle air pollution and that this step was unfair to vehicle owners.


At a press conference, Sirsa accused the Aam Aadmi Party of working against Delhi’s car owners. He mentioned that in 2024, new norms were brought in to scrap vehicles. “They’ve looted Delhi’s people by joining hands with car dealers. This is like issuing Tughlaqi or Aurangzeb-style farmans,” he said.

The minister further said that there was discontent among people due to the move, and the government stood with them.

From July 1, the Delhi government banned fuel supply to end-of-life vehicles — diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old — that have been deregistered and are not permitted on roads as per court orders.