Delhi: Vehicles older than 15 years will no longer be allowed to refuel at petrol pumps
PTC Web Desk: In a major initiative to combat air pollution, the newly formed BJP government in Delhi has announced that vehicles older than 15 years will no longer be allowed to refuel at petrol pumps.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who took office on Monday, made the announcement on Saturday, stating that a special team will be deployed to identify such vehicles. "We are installing automated devices at fuel stations to detect vehicles older than 15 years, ensuring they are denied fuel," he said after a meeting with officials.
Delhi-NCR already has a policy restricting diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years from operating on roads. An order in 2021 had directed that such vehicles be impounded and scrapped if found in use after January 1, 2022.
As part of new anti-pollution measures, the initial phase will focus on heavy vehicles entering Delhi, with checks to ensure compliance with existing pollution norms. Large organisations, hotels, commercial complexes, and high-rise buildings will be required to install anti-smog guns to reduce pollution.
The government will launch annual plantation drives involving university students and create new forests on vacant land. Work on cloud seeding will also begin to mitigate pollution.
Sirsa said pollution control must begin within Delhi before blaming external factors like stubble burning in neighbouring states. Despite minor improvements, Delhi recorded 157 days of poor or worse AQI in recent years, making it one of the most polluted cities globally.
- With inputs from agencies
