Sun Nov 17 18:18:05 UTC 2024: ## Delhi Police Crackdown on Old Vehicles Leads to Sharp Rise in Impoundments

**New Delhi, India** – Delhi Police have significantly intensified their efforts to combat air pollution, resulting in a dramatic increase in the impoundment of older vehicles. A crackdown launched on October 13th, as part of the city’s Winter Action Plan, has already seen over 5,000 old vehicles seized – an 89% increase compared to the number impounded in all of 2023. The operation, a joint effort with the Delhi Transport Department, targets diesel vehicles older than 15 years and petrol vehicles over 10 years old, and will continue until December.

The increased enforcement has also led to a substantial rise in fines for vehicles lacking valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. Over 319,000 challans have been issued as of November 7th, with 115,647 issued during the Winter Action Plan alone. This compares to 164,638 and 232,885 PUC violations in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Furthermore, 1,025 vehicles received an additional ₹10,000 fine for emitting black smoke.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Kape Kaming, attributed the success to coordinated enforcement and regular meetings with the Transport Department. While the operation focuses on registered vehicles, it also targets PUC violations observed during traffic checks. Despite the significant increase in impounded vehicles, authorities estimate that around 2 million end-of-life vehicles remain on Delhi’s roads.

Owners of impounded vehicles face penalties of ₹10,000 for cars and ₹5,000 for two-wheelers. The vehicles are taken to five registered scrapping facilities, primarily located in neighbouring states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The Delhi government’s scrapping policy, introduced in February 2024, includes incentives to encourage the removal of older vehicles, but concerns remain regarding the scrapping of well-maintained vehicles based solely on age. A tax rebate for scrapping old vehicles at authorized facilities has been introduced to address some of these concerns.

The crackdown extends to construction and demolition (C&D) waste, another major pollution source. Authorities have penalized over 1,300 instances of uncovered debris transportation, a significant increase compared to previous years. However, reports of continued illegal dumping by civic bodies in some areas persist, raising concerns about the effectiveness of enforcement. While some residents benefit from salvaging materials from the dumped debris, this practice carries significant health risks.

The Delhi government has identified 13 pollution hotspots across the city, highlighting the ongoing challenges in tackling air pollution in the national capital.

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