Delhi Bans Refueling Of Cars Older Than 15 Years To Reduce Pollution

While many developed countries have committed to phase out petrol and diesel automobiles over the next two decades, the shift will be more difficult in developing countries, where used cars imported from Europe, Japan, and the United States are frequently the only cheap alternative.

However, the Delhi government has taken a bold step and declared that starting on April 1, petrol pumps across the country will not refuel cars older than 15 years.


The move, announced by Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, is expected to affect thousands of car owners in the city. The initiative is part of a larger plan to combat air pollution in the city, which has long struggled with poor air quality.

AI-equipped cameras at petrol stations will be used by the government to identify vehicles that are not compliant with regulations. These cameras can verify the age of the vehicle and check for Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. Fuel stations that do not currently have this technology will have it installed in the coming months.

Owners of Delhi's over 1 lakh end-of-life vehicles will have to decide whether to sell their vehicles outside the city with a No-Objection Certificate (NOC), scrap them, or switch to other modes of transportation.


While this new arrangement may appear drastic, the key is to implement it properly. According to reports, Delhi and India's National Capital Region have a policy that prohibits diesel-powered vehicles older than ten years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years from being driven on public roads. The 2021 ruling states that such vehicles will be seized and scrapped if found on the streets after January 1, 2022.

Delhi, India's capital, was the world's most polluted capital in 2023, according to a Swiss air-quality monitoring agency. India was ranked the third most polluted country globally, following behind its neighbors Bangladesh and Pakistan, according to IQAir. The report also indicated that India's air quality has deteriorated since 2022 when it was ranked the eighth most polluted country.