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The 24th Meeting of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) was held today, during which issue related to implementation of Direction No. 89 pertaining to denial of fuel and immediate applicable legal action against EoL vehicles, as flagged by GNCTD was deliberated upon.

After detailed deliberations, CAQM took the call to amend Statutory Direction No.89 extending the timeline for enforcement of the Direction in NCT of Delhi. This decision was taken with an aim to address technological gaps and to enable simultaneous enforcement of Statutory Direction No. 89 across NCT of Delhi and 5 adjoining High Vehicle Density districts of NCR to 01.11.2025, while in rest of NCR from 01.04.2026.

The Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD) vide letter dated 03.07.2025 has brought to the attention of the Commission some operational and infrastructural challenges in implementation of Direction No. 89 dated 23.04.2025, inter alia, stating that while it is fully aligned with the Commission’s objective to phase out older, polluting vehicles and has been complying with the directions of the Hon’ble NGT and the Hon’ble Supreme Court regarding the ban on EoL vehicles, the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system lacks the requisite robustness, with issues related to technological glitches, camera placement, working of sensors and speakers, and that the system is not yet fully integrated with the database of neighboring NCR States; furthermore, the system is unable to identify EoL vehicles in cases where there are issues related to High Security Registration Plates (HSRP), and these challenges require proper trial and error corrections prior to its implementation.

Further, it was stated by the GNCTD that stage-wise implementation would not serve its intended purpose, as it is likely to result in vehicle owners procuring fuel from adjacent districts, thereby circumventing the ban and potentially fostering an illegal cross-border fuel market. Keeping in view the difficulties, it was urged by the GNCTD to put the implementation of Direction No. 89 on hold with immediate effect until the ANPR system is seamlessly integrated across the entire NCR.

Further, the Chief Secretary, GNCTD vide letter dated 07.07.2025 citing Section 59 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, expressed that the enforcement of geographically restricted EoL thresholds in Delhi, while identical vehicles continue to operate legally in other cities across the nation, raises legitimate questions concerning legal certainty and equitable treatment under the same national statute. The Chief Secretary, GNCTD further stated that defining EoL status solely based on the passage of time, without factoring in crucial aspects such as vehicle fitness, actual emission performance, or usage, may not fully align with the broader legislative spirit of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and also highlighted the hardship to middle-class citizens and vehicle owners.

The Chief Secretary, GNCTD requested the Commission to consider relaxing the directions pertaining to the denial of fuel to EoL vehicles in Delhi.

It is pertinent to mention that while EoL vehicles are deregistered by the concerned authorities in compliance with the orders of the Hon’ble NGT, these vehicles cease to have any legal sanctity for plying on public roads in Delhi-NCR. Strict enforcement action is required to be taken against such vehicles in accordance with the orders of the Hon’ble NGT and the Hon’ble Supreme Court, irrespective of the mode of detection, whether such vehicles are identified through ANPR camera systems, manual checks or any other mechanism. It is imperative that all such vehicles, once identified, are subjected to appropriate legal action including impounding.

The Commission, in view of the concerns raised by the Government of NCT of Delhi and after detailed deliberation of all issues raised by GNCTD, in its 24^th meeting held today has decided to partially amend clause (ii) of the Direction No. 89 dated 23.04.2025 as under:

“(ii) All EoL vehicles identified through the ANPR cameras system or other such systems installed at the fuel pump stations shall be denied fueling w.e.f. 01.11.2025 in the NCT of Delhi and 5 high vehicle density districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Sonipat and w.e.f. 01.04.2026 in the rest of NCR. Immediate legal action should be taken in respect of such EoL vehicles, including impounding and further disposal in accordance with RVSF Rules, 2021 and other extant policies of the respective State Governments and the GNCTD.”

The amendment to the Direction No. 89 shall allow GNCTD some more time to address the technological gaps in implementation of ANPR system and shall also align enforcement across the NCT of Delhi with the enforcement in 5 HVD Districts of NCR i.e. Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Sonipat w.e.f. 01.11.2025.

Further, the Transport Department of GNCTD and the NCR States have been directed to ensure proper installation and operation of the ANPR system. The Transport Departments have also been directed to ensure that trial of the ANPR system is conducted and training of manpower is done in a timely manner. They shall also widely disseminate this direction amongst all stakeholders including fuel stations and ensure its strict compliance through effective enforcement measures.

Concerted actions initiated by all the concerned agencies towards liquidation of the large fleet of End-of-Life vehicles shall be reported to the Commission on a monthly basis.

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VM/GS

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