The ban on 15-year-old petrol and 10-year-old diesel vehicles in Delhi has been lifted for now. But according to officials, action against old vehicles will start again from November 1. This time, the ban will not be limited to Delhi only. It will also apply to five districts in the NCR along with Delhi.
Delhi Government Had Written a Letter
Recently, the fueling of overage vehicles in Delhi was banned. This decision faced strong criticism from the public and political parties. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) repeatedly attacked the Delhi government led by Rekha Gupta. Following the backlash, the Delhi government wrote a letter to the pollution control body requesting the withdrawal of this rule.
Decision Taken in CAQM Meeting
According to the latest update, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) held a meeting on Tuesday. This meeting took place after the Delhi government requested a review of the fuel ban on overage vehicles, which was supposed to begin on July 1. In the meeting, it was decided that action against overage vehicles will now start from November 1.
Action Will Be Extended to NCR
The commission also decided to expand the ban to more areas. From November 1, this action will not be limited to Delhi. It will also apply in five major NCR districts: Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Sonipat. The commission agreed that implementing the rule across all regions at the same time is more effective.
What the Delhi Government Said in the Letter
Delhi’s Environment Minister, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, had written a letter to the pollution control body. In the letter, he requested the immediate withdrawal of the fuel ban until the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system is fully set up across NCR. He stated that without proper infrastructure, implementing the rule is not practical.
Lieutenant Governor Wrote to the Chief Minister
Due to increasing political pressure, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena also stepped in. He wrote a letter to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, opposing the decision. He said that Delhi is not ready for such a ban, and it would hurt common people, especially the middle class. He also said the decision was not fair from a social or economic point of view.
CM Rekha Gupta Considered Supreme Court Option
Later, CM Rekha Gupta made a statement that her government is ready to approach the Supreme Court. She said the government would inform the court about the steps taken to control pollution. She also said Delhi should follow the same rules for overage vehicles as the rest of the country.