Diesel BS 4 cars to be banned in Delhi? Check new policy to battle air pollution
- Diesel autorickshaws in Gurugram, Faridabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad will be phased out by December 31, 2024.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced a new policy to fight air pollution in Delhi-NCR in the next five years. This new policy comes with sector-wise action plans with immediate implementation.
The new policy calls for a ban on BS 4 four-wheeled diesel vehicles, except those used in essential services, in and around Delhi and the bordering districts of NCR (National Capital Region) if the air quality index (AQI) goes above the 450-mark.
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According to the new policy to curb air pollution, diesel autorickshaws in Gurugram, Faridabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad will be phased out by December 31, 2024, while the remaining districts in the National Capital Region (NCR) will observe this phasing out by December 31, 2026. The policy says only Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric autos will be registered in NCR from January 1, 2023.
The policy also highlights that fuel pumps located in Delhi-NCR would not be allowed to give fuel to vehicles which do not have a valid pollution-under-check certificate from January 1, 2023. Delhi and all NCR states have been informed to develop a plan to create a CNG and LNG fuelling network in NCR along with the highways to gradually shift long-distance trucks and other commercial vehicles to gas. State governments have also been directed to implement the scrappage policy for end-of-life vehicles that cannot be used anymore.
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Steering committee member, National Clean Air Programme Prof S N Tripathi said the sector-wise policy developed by CAQM is a welcome move to control air pollution. “The focus on strengthening the quality of air pollution data and filling gaps through sensor-based monitoring to cover rural and peri-urban areas will help authorities make evidence-driven decisions for better mitigation and abatement measures," said Tripathi.
This direction though received some flak as several resident welfare associations (RWAs) in the capital shared that this move seems unnecessary. “This is a ridiculous policy. When there already is a policy for pollution under control (PUC) certificates and people are constantly pestered to get their PUC done, then why ban diesel vehicles," a resident of the Defense Colony was quoted in a PTI report.
