Delhi to Enforce Fuel Ban on ELVs Using High-Tech Cams

From July, 100 Flying Squads Will Support Enforcement. Petrol Stations Flouting the Rules May Face Action Under the MVA

- Snehil Sinha

NEW DELHI: In a major crackdown on polluting vehicles, Delhi will stop selling fuel to end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) from July 1. To enforce this, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras have been installed at all 520 fuel stations across the city, linked directly to the central VAHAN database to screen vehicles in real time. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced this on Friday.

"All pumps are now covered. The trial run has been on since December, and we're ready to go live," said Virinder Sharma, technical member of CAQM.

As a vehicle pulls into a fuel station, the ANPR system scans its number plate and instantly checks it against the central VAHAN database for registration details, fuel type, and age. If the vehicle exceeds the permissible limit—10 years for diesel and 15 years for petrol—it is flagged as an ELV.