New Delhi [India], July 4 (HBTV): Merely two days after its rollout, the Delhi government has put its End-of-Life (EoL) vehicle impounding policy on hold, which involved a ban on providing fuel to diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years.

Amid public outcry and opposition backlash, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa confirmed that the city will not impound old vehicles for now. He formally wrote to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to suspend the policy.

In a letter to the Commission, Sirsa wrote that the implementation of the policy, which came into effect on July 1, 2025, had revealed ‘certain issues’ that must be addressed before full implementation.

At a press conference, Sirsa raised concerns over the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, stating that they are not functioning properly. He highlighted technical glitches, non-working sensors, and the failure to identify High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) vehicles.

He further pointed out that the system has not been integrated with NCR data and remains unimplemented in surrounding cities like Gurgaon, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad.

‘We have informed them that the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras that were installed are not a robust system, and there are still many challenges with them. Technical glitches, non-working sensors, and malfunctioning speakers, all these challenges are there. It has not been integrated with the NCR data yet. It is not able to identify HSRP plates. We also said that such a law has not been implemented in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad and the rest of NCR till now,’ Sirsa said.

Just a day earlier, only 80 end-of-life vehicles were impounded on the first day of Delhi's newly enforced fuel ban targeting old vehicles. Officials attributed the low number to fewer vehicles showing up at fuel stations.

According to official records, Delhi has around 60.14 lakh deregistered EoL vehicles, with many still in active use. Data from the VAHAN database shows over 62 lakh EoL vehicles in the city, including 41 lakh two-wheelers and 18 lakh four-wheelers. Nearly 62 lakh vehicles would have been affected by the rule.

Sirsa reiterated the Delhi government’s commitment to environmental protection without seizing vehicles. He proposed that bans should be based on actual pollution output rather than vehicle age and suggested applying the rule across the entire NCR before enforcing it solely in Delhi.

‘We will clean the environment of Delhi and will not allow the vehicles of Delhi to be confiscated. This is the resolution of our Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta ji, towards the people of Delhi, this is her promise to the people of Delhi... It will be better if this system is implemented in the entire NCR and then it is implemented in Delhi. We are also looking for a solution that the vehicles should not be banned on the basis of age, but should be banned considering their pollution capacity,’ Sirsa said.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) had notified the Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) Rules, 2025, on January 6, 2025, to ensure the environmentally safe management of such vehicles.

Due to the continuous decline in Delhi's air quality, the government implemented the policy to curb pollution. However, following strong public backlash and concerns over its impact on vehicle owners, the policy has now been suspended just two days after implementation. (ANI)