The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has postponed its directive to refuse fuel to end-of-life (EOL) vehicles—diesel models over 10 years old and petrol vehicles older than 15, until November 1, 2025. Originally enforced in Delhi from July 1, the ban is set to expand to high-density NCR districts, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Sonipat on the same date.

The sudden enforcement led to widespread public backlash, prompting Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa to write to CAQM, highlighting “critical operational and infrastructural challenges”, notably, faulty ANPR camera systems and incomplete plate-recognition integration across the NCR. Initial enforcement saw 80 vehicles seized on day one, with numbers plummeting in subsequent days, illustrating both low compliance and enforcement hurdles .

Sirsa emphasized that delaying the ban would prevent unjust hardship on middle-class families who rely on older vehicles. The pause offers authorities time to fully integrate ANPR systems at around 382 fuel stations and enhance cross-border enforcement measures.