In a landmark move to curb vehicular pollution, the Delhi government on Tuesday began enforcing strict new measures targeting End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles, which have exceeded their permissible age limits. Under the new directives issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), all petrol pumps in the National Capital Territory will now refuse to refuel vehicles identified as EOL through AI-enabled Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.

According to the rule, diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years will be denied fuel at all filling stations across Delhi. Violators will face significant fines: ₹10,000 for four-wheelers and ₹5,000 for two-wheelers if found operating on the roads despite the ban.

Authorities have also announced that any EOL vehicle found parked in public places or near fuel stations will be seized with immediate effect. The measure is part of a broader campaign to bring down emissions and improve Delhi’s notoriously poor air quality.

Petrol pump operators have begun implementing the order. Sanjay Dedha, a manager at a petrol station in Vivek Vihar, told reporters, “The Delhi government has installed the system. Let’s see from today if the technology works smoothly. If there are any server glitches, we will manually identify and deny fuel to old vehicles.”

Similarly, Ram Lagan Shukla, supervisor at Bharat Petroleum in Lal Kuan, confirmed, “It has come into effect from today, the 1st of the month, that petrol vehicles older than 15 years will not be given fuel here. We will also check vehicle documents if needed.”

The move is expected to impact thousands of aging vehicles in Delhi, which has long struggled to tackle severe air pollution levels, particularly in winter months. Officials believe that restricting fuel for EOL vehicles will discourage their use and push owners to scrap or replace outdated automobiles.