NEW DELHI: To contain pollution levels, the Delhi government has decided that vehicles older than 15 years will not be provided fuel after March 31.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa made the announcements following marathon meetings with officials to discuss measures for combating air pollution in the capital.
The officials deliberated on diseases possibly caused by pollution. Sirsa slammed the previous government for failing to effectively address water and air pollution, stating, “The funds were unutilised.”
He underlined that there is currently no comprehensive strategy for addressing vehicles that enter the city from outside. He said, “We have decided to stop providing fuel to vehicles older than 15 years after March 31, 2025.” A team will be formed to identify these vehicles. Additionally, the government plans to rope in students from Delhi University in a plantation drive.
Authorities are also working to identify organisations contributing to pollution and directing them to monitor their emissions using technology. The installation of smog guns will be made mandatory for high-rises, hotels, commercial complexes, and Delhi airport.
This initiative follows a report from the CAG, which indicated that of the 47.51 lakh ‘End of life’ vehicles that needed to be deregistered during 2018-21, only 2.98 lakh were actually deregistered. This represents a small fraction (6.27%) of the ELVs, leaving a staggering 93.73% (44.53 lakh) still registered as of March 2021.