By The Sampadak Express
New Delhi: In a major push to tackle air pollution, the Delhi government will launch a strict crackdown on old diesel and petrol vehicles from July 1, 2025. While there were earlier plans to include 15-year-old CNG cars in the ban, authorities have decided to exclude them for now, offering temporary relief to their owners.
The enforcement will focus on:
1. Diesel vehicles older than 10 years
2. Petrol vehicles older than 15 years
3. Strict Monitoring at Petrol Pumps
Delhi Transport Commissioner Niharika Rai announced that special teams will be deployed at petrol pumps across the capital to enforce the ban. These teams will prevent old vehicles from refueling, seize them on the spot, and send them for scrapping. However, CNG stations will not be monitored, so CNG vehicle owners are not impacted at this stage.
To support the operation, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras have been installed at most petrol pumps. These high-tech cameras will identify vehicles that exceed the legal age limit, triggering immediate action by enforcement teams.
Police Deployment to Prevent Clashes
Fuel station owners have expressed concerns about potential confrontations with vehicle owners. In response, Delhi Traffic Police will deploy additional personnel to sensitive fuel stations. Joint Commissioner Ajay Chaudhary said some locations will have 24/7 police presence based on risk assessment.
Only in Delhi, For Now
Currently, the drive is limited to Delhi. The ANPR camera system has not yet been rolled out in NCR cities like Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Sonipat. However, authorities plan to extend the system to these areas by November 1, 2025.
In the interim, officials expect many owners of banned vehicles to travel to neighboring cities to refuel. Although Delhi’s roads and borders do not yet have ANPR monitoring, plans are underway to install these cameras at border checkpoints to catch non-compliant trucks and buses as well.
Background
This action follows a Supreme Court directive urging strict enforcement of vehicle age limits to curb air pollution in the capital. Once fully implemented, the initiative is expected to significantly reduce the number of high-emission vehicles on Delhi’s roads.
