Diesel autos in NCR will be banned from this date

In a bid to reduce vehicular pollution, the central government's Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana to phase out the diesel autos in the national capital region by the end of 2026. This means the existing diesel-powered autos in the NCR will not be able to ply after 2026. Also, the CAQM has directed the three states to register only CNG and electric autos from 1st January 2023. The agency has issued this order saying that the target is that only CNG and electric autos would ply in the NCR from 1st January 2027.

The national capital region or NCR comprises Delhi, 14 districts of Haryana, eight districts of Uttar Pradesh and two districts of Rajasthan as well. This order ensures that diesel-driven autos in Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Faridabad and Gurugram will be moved out of service by the end of 2024, claims a PTI report. Also, Sonepat, Rohtak, Jhajjar and Baghpat will do the same by 31st December 2025. The deadline for the remaining areas in NCR is the end of 2026.

Diesel autos have been accused of being responsible for vehicular pollution in the region along with other polluting vehicles like 15-year or older petrol and 10-year or older diesel vehicles. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) previously banned plying old diesel vehicles in Delhi-NCR. The latest order from CAQM comes in line with that.

The Delhi government, in 1998, launched a programme to convert its fleet of diesel autorickshaws into CNG ones. Following that, no diesel auto is currently registered in the national capital. However, the neighbouring states with borders and areas in NCR have respective fleets of diesel-run autos that ply in the region, contributing to vehicular pollution, which amounts to 40 per cent of PM 2.5 emissions in the capital city alone.

Meanwhile, according to another mandate issued by CAQM in July this year, vehicles without a valid pollution-under-check (PUC) certificate will not get fuel at fuel pumps from 1st January 2023.