The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) notified the Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) Rules, 2025 vide S.O. 98(E) dated 06^th January, 2025 for environmentally sound management of end-of-life vehicles. The rules are based on the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR) where producers of vehicles are given mandatory EPR targets for scrapping of end-of-life vehicles. The rules cover all types of transport and non-transport vehicles, except agricultural tractor, agricultural trailer, combine harvester and power tiller.

Under the said rules, producers have been mandated to fulfil the obligation of EPR for the vehicles that the producer has introduced or introduces in the domestic market, including vehicles put to self-use to meet the specified scrapping targets. Producers have been provided annual targets for scrapping of end-of-life vehicles starting from FY 2025-26 for the vehicles put in the market 15 years ago in case of transport vehicles and 20 years ago in case of non-transport vehicles.

Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs) have been mandated to receive unfit vehicles or end-of-Life vehicles for scrapping and must carry out treatment, depolluting, dismantling, segregation and scrapping activities. They are required to send all the recovered and segregated materials from end-of-life vehicles to the registered recyclers or refurbishers, co-processors for recycling and reuse of components or materials, in case RVSF does not have recycling or refurbishing facility. They are further required to send all non-recyclable or non-refurbishable materials and non-utilizable hazardous materials to Common Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility authorised under Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.

Producers have been mandated to make necessary arrangements to receive the end-of-life vehicles from the registered owner at any designated Collection Centre, including its sales outlet and upload such list of designated Collection Centres, sales outlets on its website and at a conspicuous place of its sales outlets and service centres. Designated Collection Centres by producers are required to handle the end-of-life vehicles in an environmentally sound manner and send them to RVSF.

Registered owner of the vehicle or bulk consumer is required to deposit the end-of-life vehicle at any of the producer’s designated sales outlet or designated Collection Centre or RVSF within a period of one hundred and eighty days from the date the vehicle becomes the end-of-life vehicle.

Producers are required to obtain registration from CPCB through the centralised online portal. Bulk consumers and RVSFs have been mandated to obtain registration from concerned State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)/ Pollution Control Committee (PCC) through the centralised online portal

Under the rules, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in case of producer and SPCB/ PCC in case of RVSF and bulk consumer may, after giving an opportunity of being heard, suspend or cancel their registration, in case of violation or non-compliance of any provisions of these rules.

Returns in respect of fulfilment of the obligations provided under the rules are required to be filed by producer, bulk consumer and RVSF on centralised online portal.

CPCB has been mandated to undertake periodic inspection and audit of the producer to ensure that such facility is complying with the requirement under the provisions of these rules. SPCB/PCC has been mandated to undertake periodic inspection and audit, or cause to be inspected by an authorised agency, of the RVSF to ensure compliance of the rules.

In case, producer or RVSF or bulk consumer who fails to comply with the provisions relating to handling and scrapping of end-of-life vehicles in environmentally sound manner under these rules are liable to pay environmental compensation for causing loss, damage or injury to environment or public health. CPCB and concerned SPCB/PCC have been authorised to take necessary actions against violations or for non-fulfilment of obligations under these rules.

Implementation Committee has been constituted vide MoEF&CC Order dated 30.01.2025 under chairpersonship of Chairman, CPCB, with representatives from the concerned Ministries/ Departments/ stakeholders representing producers, recyclers and scrapping facilities, for effective implementation of these Rules.

Further, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has formulated the Voluntary Vehicle Fleet Modernization Program (V-VMP) for creation of an ecosystem to phase out older unfit and polluting vehicles.

MoRTH notified the Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicle Scrapping Facility) Rules, 2021 vide G.S.R. 653(E) dated 23.09.2021, and it prescribes for registration of RVSF, criteria for scrapping vehicles, scrapping procedure, audit and certifications for functioning of RVSFs.

MoRTH notified the Central Motor Vehicles (Twenty first Amendment) Rules, 2021 vide G.S.R 652(E) dated 23.09.2021, for recognition, regulation and control of automated testing stations, the procedure for fitness testing of vehicles through automated equipment and the procedure for grant of Certificate of Fitness by automated testing stations.

Further, Steel Scrap Recycling Policy, 2019, notified by the Ministry of Steel, promotes environment friendly technologies for scientific processing and recycling of ferrous scrap generated from various sources and products, including end-of-life vehicles.

Further, CPCB has developed ‘Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Facilities for Handling, Processing and Recycling of End-of-Life Vehicles’ in 2023 to carry out dismantling and recycling of end-of-life vehicles in environmentally sound manner. The guidelines also specify sustainable technologies for de-pollution and dismantling of end-of-life vehicles.

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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VM/GS

(Release ID: 2149276)