Delhi Halts Vehicle Impounding Amid Public Outcry

New Delhi: The Delhi government has reversed its policy on impounding end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) due to significant public opposition and logistical challenges, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced on Thursday, July 3, 2025. The decision comes just days after the Transport Department and traffic police began seizing overage vehicles at fuel stations, starting July 1, in an effort to curb air pollution.

The initial policy targeted diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years, which are deregistered and prohibited from operating on Delhi’s roads under court orders. According to data from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), Delhi has approximately 62 lakh ELVs, with an additional 44 lakh in the broader National Capital Region (NCR).

Sirsa cited public discontent and systemic issues, such as non-functional Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and difficulties in coordinating data with neighboring NCR cities like Noida, Faridabad, and Gurugram, where no similar restrictions exist. “We will clean Delhi’s environment, but we will not allow Delhiites’ vehicles to be impounded,” Sirsa stated, emphasizing Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s commitment to balancing pollution control with public needs.

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The minister also criticized the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, alleging it accepted payments from new car dealers to enforce the policy through ANPR camera installations. A similar measure was proposed by former Environment Minister Gopal Rai in 2022 but was never formally implemented.

The Delhi government has formally requested the CAQM to suspend the fuel ban and impounding directive, advocating for a region-wide approach to ensure consistency across the NCR.