Sirsa Urges Hold on Fuel Ban for EOL Vehicles in Delhi, Cites Technical Glitches in ANPR System
"Technical glitches, non-working sensors, and malfunctioning speakers..."
Sirsa Urges Hold on Fuel Ban for EOL Vehicles in Delhi, Cites Technical Glitches in ANPR System
Just a day after the enforcement of the direction mandating the denial of fuel to End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday wrote to the Commission for Air Quality Management, requesting that the directive be placed on hold until the ANPR system is seamlessly integrated across the entire NCR.
The direction, which came into force on July 1, aims to combat Delhi’s rising air pollution.
In the letter, the minister stated that the “implementation of this direction has revealed certain issues that must be addressed before these directions are fully implemented.”
He further noted that “because of several critical operational and infrastructural challenges…it will not be feasible to implement this order at this juncture.”
The letter listed a number of concerns regarding the implementation of the directive. It stated that while Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras have been installed at most fuel stations, however there are crucial issues related to technological glitches, camera placement, non-functional sensors, and malfunctioning speakers. Additionally, the system has not yet been fully integrated with the databases of neighbouring NCR states.
The letter also pointed out that the system is unable to identify EOL vehicles where there are issues related to High Security Registration Plates (HSRP). It emphasized the need for proper “trial and error corrections before the same can be implemented in Delhi.”
Sirsa cautioned that a “stage-wise implementation that begins only in Delhi will not serve its intended purpose,” and warned that “it is highly likely to lead to vehicle owners procuring fuel from adjacent districts like Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad, thereby circumventing the ban and potentially fostering an illegal cross-border market for fuel, which would further exacerbate the problem.”
He further added that the ANPR system has not been implemented in neighbouring states.
The letter also highlighted that the Delhi Government is already undertaking several measures to curb vehicular pollution. These include a plan to plant about 70 lakh trees/shrubs this year, exploring cloud seeding technology, mandating high-rise commercial buildings to install anti-smog guns, and cleaning all PWD roads through MRS with integrated anti-smog guns and sprinklers.
Additionally, the Delhi Government is implementing a new policy for Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates to ensure stricter compliance, particularly for out-of-state vehicles.
“We are simultaneously attempting to create a system where preventive SMS alerts inform vehicle owners in Delhi about the impending End of Life of their vehicles, enabling them to take timely preventive action. The same will also apply to EOL vehicles registered outside Delhi to ensure they do not enter the NCR,” the letter read.
Citing the technological inconsistencies of this "complex system and the lack of integration with neighbouring states", Sirsa stated that public discontent and outcry have already emerged. “It is not feasible to implement this system where fuel is being denied to EOL vehicles identified through ANPR installed at petrol pumps in Delhi,” the letter stated.
In a press conference today, Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “We have informed them that the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras that were installed are not a robust system, and there are still many challenges with them. Technical glitches, non-working sensors, and malfunctioning speakers — all these challenges are there. It has not been integrated with the NCR data yet. It is not able to identify HSRP plates. We also said that such a law has not been implemented in Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad or the rest of the NCR till now…”
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