Delhi petrol pumps to ban overage vehicles from April

Starting April 1, petrol stations in Delhi will use special cameras to stop older vehicles from getting fuel. This is part of a government plan to cut down on pollution. The cameras will identify petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years. The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras will help petrol pumps refuse fuel to vehicles that do not meet these age limits. A government official explained that this will ensure better enforcement of the rules set by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Delhi has around 500 petrol stations, and about 80% of them already have these cameras installed. When an older vehicle arrives for fuel, the system will alert the staff. It connects to a central database that checks the vehicle's registration against government records. The Delhi government has already deregistered over 5.9 million old vehicles, with two-wheelers being the most common. Despite this, many old vehicles still operate on the roads. Since March 2021, the government has been working to remove these overage vehicles. Environment Minister Manjinder Sirsa emphasized the seriousness of addressing vehicular pollution. Under new guidelines, if an old vehicle is impounded, the owner must either get a no-objection certificate or register it in another state to reclaim it. There will be penalties of Rs 10,000 for cars and Rs 5,000 for two-wheelers. If the vehicle is found again on the road, it will be scrapped.