In a major move to curb rising air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) districts of Haryana, the state government is set to implement a strict ban on fuel supply to end-of-life vehicles. Starting October 1, 2026, petrol pumps in the designated districts will deny fuel to petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years. To strictly enforce this regulation, the government is leveraging advanced technology by deploying a specialized surveillance network across fuel stations.
Initial Phase to Cover Four Key Districts
The state administration will roll out this initiative in four prominent NCR districts during the first phase: Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, and Jhajjar. Under this rule, any petrol vehicle exceeding its 15-year age limit or diesel vehicle older than 10 years will be completely barred from refuelling at local filling stations. The identification of these prohibited vehicles will be carried out using high-tech cameras installed directly at the petrol pumps to spot 'End-of-Life Vehicles' instantly.
Automated Detection via ANPR Cameras
To ensure seamless and error-free enforcement, the fuel stations will be equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. A total of 775 ANPR cameras are scheduled to be set up across the four selected districts in the initial stage. Whenever a vehicle enters a petrol pump, these cameras will automatically scan and read its registration plate. The linked software system will instantly cross-reference the number with the official vehicle registry to determine its age. If the vehicle is found to have crossed its legal operational limit, the system will flag it, and the petrol pump operators will refuse to dispense petrol or diesel.
Project Cost and District-Wise Allocation
The Haryana government has earmarked a substantial budget of approximately 41.74 crore rupees for the installation and integration of this camera network. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has officially cleared the project. Sharing updates on the timeline, Haryana Transport Minister Anil Vij stated that the installation target has been set for September 30, ensuring that the system is fully operational before the October 1 deadline.
Of the 775 cameras in the first phase, Gurugram will receive the highest allocation with 249 cameras. This will be followed by 215 cameras in Sonipat, 195 in Jhajjar, and 116 in Faridabad. Looking ahead, the government estimates that around 2,780 ANPR cameras will eventually be required to expand this system across the entire state of Haryana.
Adherence to CAQM Pollution Guidelines
This policy action comes in direct response to the directives issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). Controlling vehicle emissions is crucial to improving the air quality in the pollution-prone Delhi-NCR region. State authorities emphasize that utilizing digital technology will simplify the task of identifying overage, polluting vehicles, thereby ensuring strict compliance with environmental regulations. The government aims to gradually scale up this number-plate-based tracking system to eradicate old, high-emission vehicles from the state's roads.
