Overview

• The postponed ban will deny fuel to diesel cars over 10 years old and petrol cars over 15 years old starting November 1 across Delhi and five neighbouring NCR districts — Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Sonipat.
• Automated Number Plate Recognition systems linked to the VAHAN database must be installed and trialled at petrol pumps by October 31 to flag over-age vehicles in real time.
• Enforcement of the fuel ban in the remaining NCR districts is scheduled for April 1, 2026 under the commission’s phased rollout plan.
• Delhi’s environment minister and lieutenant governor successfully pressed CAQM to defer the July 1 launch, citing infrastructural shortfalls and concerns over fairness for middle-class vehicle owners.
• The policy, rooted in Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal orders to phase out high-emission vehicles, complements broader air quality measures including EV infrastructure growth and stricter vehicle inspections.