The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Friday ordered a phased ban on petrol- and diesel-powered three‑wheelers by requiring that only L5-category electric three‑wheelers be eligible for registration across the National Capital Region (NCR), and simultaneously tightened fuel access for vehicles without valid pollution certificates. The CAQM said the measure aims to curb vehicular emissions and accelerate the shift to electric mobility across Delhi-NCR.
The rollout is staggered: the National Capital Territory of Delhi will enforce the registration-only rule from January 1, 2027. High-vehicle-density districts of the NCR — Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar — will follow from January 1, 2028, and the remaining NCR districts from January 1, 2029. Under the directive, only three‑wheelers meeting the L5 electric classification will be allowed new registration in the specified areas after the applicable start dates.
Separately, the CAQM directed that, with effect from October 1, 2026, fuel stations across the NCR must refuse fuelling to any vehicle that does not hold a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC). The Commission said enforcement will rely on Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems and other technology-enabled mechanisms to identify non-compliant vehicles at the point of refuelling. A PUCC is the emissions certificate that demonstrates a vehicle meets pollution norms, while ANPR refers to camera-based number-plate recognition technology.
The order allows narrowly defined exceptions for extraordinary situations, including medical emergencies, law-and-order duties, disaster response operations, and other cases that the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi or the respective NCR state governments may notify. The CAQM has asked relevant authorities in the NCT of Delhi and the NCR states to install, integrate and operationalise the necessary enforcement technologies, including ANPR camera systems, to implement and monitor the directive effectively.
The Commission said it issued the directions exercising powers under Section 12 of the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021. A week earlier, the CAQM’s Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) revoked Stage‑I restrictions in Delhi-NCR, citing a marked improvement in air quality after reviewing current conditions and forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), which it said indicate AQI levels are likely to remain in the “satisfactory to moderate” range in the coming days. The report was published from a syndicated feed.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/only-electric-autos-in-delhi-soon-pollution-control-panels-big-decision-11502845#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-05-16 06:01:00
