NEW DELHI: In a bid to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Centre on Wednesday announced a Rs 9,585-crore scheme to replace old trucks and buses in the region with cleaner BS-VI or electric vehicles. Of the total Rs 9,585 crore financial outlay, Rs 5,041 crore will be from the Central government and an estimated Rs 1,601 crore will be in tax concessions from participating state governments.
After a Cabinet meeting, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, noted that the scheme would benefit approximately 2.07 lakh (1.91 lakh trucks and 16,329 buses) owners in Delhi-NCR (comprising Delhi and parts of Haryana, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh). Owners operating BS-IV and older trucks and buses registered in Delhi-NCR will be eligible for benefits if they replace their existing vehicles with BS-VI or stricter emission norm-compliant vehicles or electric vehicles registered within the NCR.
The scheme will be funded through the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG). It will be implemented in collaboration with the participating states and Union Territories of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP.
The scheme seeks to incentivise owners of trucks and buses registered in Delhi–NCR that comply with BS-IV or earlier emission norms to replace them with BS-VI or stricter emission-compliant vehicles, or electric vehicles (EVs). By accelerating the transition to cleaner transport technologies, the scheme is expected to significantly reduce vehicular emissions and contribute to improved air quality across the region.
For BS‑III or older vehicles, scrapping at Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities is mandatory, while BS‑IV vehicles may either be scrapped or sold outside NCR in non‑NCAP cities / towns. Owners must then purchase and register a BS‑VI or stricter norms compliant or electric vehicle within NCR.
