Move Comes After Public Outcry and Opposition Pressure
Thenewsdose.com
New Delhi,July 4,UDDATED:9.10AM
In a major relief to lakhs of vehicle owners in the national capital, the Delhi Government on Thursday decided to put on hold the controversial directive that would have barred fuel refilling for older vehicles in the city. The policy, aimed at curbing vehicular emissions, faced widespread criticism for its impracticality and lack of preparedness.
Directive No. 89 Deferred Amid Technical and Coordination Challenges
Delhi’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa formally wrote to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), requesting a deferment of Direction No. 89, which was slated to be implemented from July 1. The directive proposed denying petrol and diesel to vehicles categorized as End-of-Life (EOL) — petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years — using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology at petrol pumps.
In his letter, Sirsa flagged a range of unresolved technical and logistical issues that could compromise the effectiveness of the system. “There are crucial issues related to technological glitches, camera placement, non-working sensors, and malfunctioning speakers,” he wrote. He also noted that the system has not yet been integrated with NCR-wide vehicle databases, and is unable to identify high-security registration plates (HSRP), limiting its utility and accuracy.
Concerns Over Asymmetrical Enforcement and Public Inconvenience
The Delhi Government further raised concerns about the potential for regional disparity in enforcement. A Delhi-only implementation, officials warned, could be easily bypassed by refuelling vehicles in neighbouring NCR districts like Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, and Ghaziabad, thereby defeating the very purpose of the exercise.
“The uneven rollout would not only render the policy ineffective but could also give rise to an unregulated black market for fuel across borders,” Sirsa cautioned. He argued that enforcement should only begin once the entire NCR region is technologically and administratively equipped to implement the ban in a uniform manner.
The government also pointed out that an abrupt implementation would cause significant disruption in public mobility and trigger widespread dissatisfaction, especially among middle- and lower-income families who cannot afford to purchase new vehicles.
AAP Slams BJP for “Anti-People” Policy
The rollback came shortly after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central Government and the CAQM. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, while addressing a press conference, alleged that the policy was crafted to benefit car manufacturers by forcing mass scrapping of still-functional vehicles.
“More than 61 lakh families are affected by this. Many of these vehicles are in good condition, haven’t even clocked 20,000 km, and continue to meet pollution norms. Yet the BJP’s ‘Phulera Panchayat’ has decided to cut off their petrol and diesel,” Sisodia said, mocking the policy as both arbitrary and exploitative.
Policy on Hold Until NCR-Wide Readiness Achieved
For now, the Delhi Government has requested the CAQM to defer Direction No. 89 until the ANPR systems are fully operational, technical deficiencies are resolved, and a coordinated NCR-wide plan is put in place.
Minister Sirsa reiterated that the government remains committed to fighting air pollution but emphasized the need for “practical, fair, and technologically sound” implementation of any such directive.
