Delhi stickers on 1.2 million vehicles completed

The Delhi government has informed the Supreme Court that over 1.2 million out of 2.5 million vehicles in the city have color-coded stickers (CCS) to indicate their fuel type. This response follows an order from the court in January, which required the implementation of these stickers for all vehicles, even those registered before April 2019. The stickers are part of an ongoing effort, and officials stated they aim to ensure that all vehicles in Delhi will have CCS as soon as possible. The 2.5 million figure does not include two-wheelers and e-rickshaws. A court bench, led by Justice Abhay S Oka, reviewed the government's affidavit and scheduled further discussions for next week. Under the CCS rule, petrol and CNG vehicles receive blue hologram stickers, diesel vehicles get orange stickers, and other fuel types are marked with grey stickers. These stickers serve as a "third registration plate" and are issued by car dealers when vehicles are registered. The Supreme Court has called for steps to promote the availability of these stickers as part of measures to reduce pollution. Vehicular pollution significantly impacts air quality, increasing harmful gases and particulate matter in the air. The court has been addressing this issue since a 1985 petition by lawyer and activist MC Mehta. In addition to the CCS, the government reported improvements in high-security registration plate (HSRP) adoption, with fewer than 200,000 vehicles lacking either HSRP or CCS. From November 2024 to February 2025, over 400,000 vehicles were added to the HSRP coverage. Enforcement actions have been taken, with nearly 3,000 fines issued for not having CCS and around 1,200 for missing HSRP. The Delhi government has made these stickers and high-security plates mandatory for obtaining pollution-under-control (PUC) certificates. Overall, about 52% of vehicles in the National Capital Region have HSRP, with higher coverage in Haryana and Rajasthan.