As Delhi prepares to enforce a ban on refueling overaged vehicles, the city government is grappling with the challenge of identifying vehicles that have exceeded their lifespan arriving from neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Officials said the AI-based detection system developed for implementation currently holds data only for Delhi-registered vehicles, making it difficult to monitor those entering from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
To address this gap, Delhi’s transport department is reaching out to NCR state authorities, urging them to take stricter action against such vehicles and prevent their entry into the capital. Officials said the lack of coordination and enforcement in these states threatens to undermine Delhi’s anti-pollution efforts.
According to government data, by September 2024, over 27.5 lakh vehicles in Haryana had exceeded their age limit, with only a fraction—2,716—seized in 2023 and 2024. In Uttar Pradesh, 12.38 lakh vehicles had completed their lifespan, but just 3,689 were seized over the past two years. Rajasthan had over 6 lakh such vehicles, with 963 seized during the same period.
Delhi has already cancelled the registration of over 60 lakh overaged vehicles and intensified enforcement to remove those still in use. However, the high number of such vehicles in neighboring states poses a serious challenge to the city’s anti-pollution efforts.
To strengthen enforcement, the Delhi government is installing CCTV cameras at petrol pumps to ensure fuel is not provided to vehicles that have completed their lifespan. More than 400 pumps have already been equipped with cameras, with testing and software integration currently underway. The system will also check vehicles without valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. Officials said the initiative will be expanded to all fuel stations in the coming months.
“The success of this initiative depends on cooperation across NCR states,” an official said.
“We need a coordinated effort to ensure that polluting vehicles are effectively removed from the roads,” the official added.
