CAQM Confirms No Independent Study On Overage Vehicle Pollution In Delhi-NCR

CAQM says no in-house study backs Delhi-NCR’s overage vehicle pollution ban

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has acknowledged that it has not conducted any independent research on pollution caused by diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old, categories currently targeted under the overage vehicle ban in Delhi-NCR.

In its response to an RTI application filed by environmentalist Amit Gupta, the commission clarified that the restrictions stem from earlier directives issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Supreme Court, rather than from any in-house scientific study.

The CAQM recently deferred until October 31 its earlier order that fuel stations in Delhi must stop supplying petrol and diesel to such vehicles, after the Delhi government cited challenges in implementation. Authorities pointed to operational issues including limited public transport options in many NCR cities, as well as the need to address other pollution sources such as construction dust and industrial emissions.

According to official figures, Delhi has around 62 lakh vehicles in the “end-of-life” (EoL) category, of which about 41 lakh are two-wheelers. Across the NCR, there are approximately 44 lakh such vehicles, concentrated in districts like Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Sonipat.

The fuel supply ban is now set to begin in these high-density NCR districts on November 1, using Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to identify EoL vehicles by cross-referencing number plates with the VAHAN database. The rollout is planned for the remaining NCR districts from April 1 next year.

The Delhi government has flagged software integration issues, sensor malfunctions, and incomplete coordination with neighbouring states’ databases as hurdles in implementing the system. Both the Supreme Court and NGT have previously expressed dissatisfaction over the slow removal of old and polluting vehicles from the NCR. A review petition is also pending in the apex court seeking reconsideration of the 2018 ban on overage vehicles.