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From July 1, all End-of-Life (EoL) vehicles identified through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras installed at fuel stations across Delhi will not be allowed to refuel, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
According to the CAQM, this enforcement will extend to Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Sonipat from November 1, while the rest of the National Capital Region (NCR) will implement the restriction from April 1, 2026. CAQM's member Dr Virendra Sharma said ANPR cameras have been installed at 500 fuel stations across Delhi, enabling real-time recording and tracking of vehicle data. To date, 3.63 crore vehicles have been screened through this system, of which 4.90 lakh vehicles have been identified as End-of-Life (EoL). He added that 29.52 lakh vehicles have renewed their Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC), resulting in the generation of challans amounting to Rs 168 crores. To strengthen enforcement, 100 dedicated teams from the Transport Department, Government of NCT of Delhi, are actively monitoring vehicle data to identify fuel stations with the highest number of EoL vehicles and ensure targeted compliance action. Dr Sharma said, "It is very important to remove old BS standard vehicles to clean the air of Delhi and NCR. These vehicles play a big role in air pollution. Now that a transparent, digital and accountable system is in place, it will also be used at toll centres to make this system more effective. About 100 enforcement teams will work for this." ANPR cameras have been installed at fuel stations to capture and read license plate numbers in real-time. As a vehicle enters the station, the ANPR system captures its license plate and instantly cross-verifies it with a centralised 'VAHAN' database containing registration details, fuel type, and the vehicle's age. If the system detects that the vehicle exceeds the permissible age limit--10 years for diesel and 15 years for petrol vehicles in Delhi--it is flagged as EoL. Once flagged, the system alerts the fuel station operator to deny refuelling, and the violation is logged and shared with enforcement agencies for further action. Further actions include impounding and scrapping the EoL vehicle. (ANI)
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