Cites Lack of Infrastructure and Technical Glitches in Enforcement Mechanism
THE NEWS DOSE DESK
News Delhi,July3,UPDATED:5.15PM
Facing mounting public outrage and opposition criticism, the Delhi government has put the newly enforced End-of-Life (EOL) vehicle impounding policy on hold, just two days after its rollout. The decision was announced on Thursday by Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who cited inadequate infrastructure and implementation hurdles as key reasons for the pause.
CM Assures: No Arbitrary Vehicle Impounding
Minister Sirsa assured residents that old vehicles would not be impounded arbitrarily. “Delhi Chief Minister has clearly instructed that citizens should not face undue harassment. We are committed to curbing pollution but will not proceed without a fully prepared system,” Sirsa stated during a press briefing.
The announcement comes in response to widespread confusion and distress among vehicle owners—many of whom were reportedly unaware that their vehicles had been designated as EOL, owing to communication gaps and technical shortcomings in the enforcement process.
Letter to CAQM: ‘We Are Not Ready’
Highlighting the government’s concerns, Sirsa said that a formal letter has been sent to the Chairman of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), stating that Delhi currently lacks the necessary infrastructure to implement the policy effectively.
“The city is not equipped with a real-time system to alert citizens when their vehicles are tagged as End-of-Life. The ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras are malfunctioning, loudspeakers are not working, and there is no integration of vehicle data across Delhi-NCR,” Sirsa explained.
Policy Temporarily Halted, But Pollution Control Remains a Priority
While the impounding process has been halted, the government reiterated its commitment to tackling vehicular pollution. Sirsa emphasized that pollution control remains a top priority, but it must be achieved through a system that is fair, transparent, and technically robust.
The EOL policy—meant to phase out vehicles that have outlived their permitted road life (15 years for petrol and 10 years for diesel vehicles)—was launched as part of the broader effort to curb pollution in the capital. However, the abrupt rollout without a functional notification mechanism or grievance redressal system triggered strong pushback from both the public and political opponents.
With the policy now in limbo, it remains to be seen how the Delhi government plans to recalibrate its strategy while balancing environmental goals with public convenience.
