Do not blame the old vehicles: Clean air needs smarter solutions, not blanket bans
New Delhi, Jul 6: The recent move to deny fuel to older vehicles (which was taken back) and impound them based on automated surveillance in New Delhi, marks yet another short-sighted response to Delhi’s air pollution crisis. In the name of environmental urgency, the government has chosen the sledgehammer approach of banning old vehicles outright, without fully understanding the complex sources of pollution, or the human costs of such a decision.
Yes, Delhi’s air is toxic. But to assume that 10 or15 year-old vehicles are the chief culprits is to ignore the science and the full picture. Air pollution in urban India stems from a wide array of sources: construction dust, garbage burning, industrial emissions, coal-fired power plants, road dust, and more. Vehicular pollution contributes to the problem, but to single out "old" vehicles as the villain, without even evaluating their actual emission output is lazy policy at best, and counterproductive at worst.
A better way forward lies not in bans, but in balance. Just as the old saying goes, you do not empty the entire well just because a dead animal falls into it; you remove the contaminant. Similarly, we should regulate pollution, not vehicles by age alone. There are old cars on the road today, especially vintage models, that are far better maintained than many newer ones. Owners invest time, emotion, and money into preserving these vehicles. Their pollution levels may be well within prescribed norms, yet they are being penalised just for their date of manufacture.
In fact, I recently spoke with a former neighbourhood State police chief who proudly maintains his old vehicle in pristine condition. He is bewildered by the logic of the ban. And says he has stopped visiting Delhi. Similarly, a well-known editor in new Delhi had to part ways with his cherished Ambassador, despite the car being roadworthy and lightly driven. Many embassies in New Delhi want to preserve old models of Ambassador cars. For many, a vehicle is not just a mode of transport but a piece of family history, a gift from a loved one, or a symbol of an era.
A.P. Singh, an 80-year-old resident of Rajouri Garden, says he has been driving the same car for the past 13 years without ever needing to change or repair a tyre. He takes pride in the way he has maintained the vehicle, calling it reliable and familiar. At his age, he finds comfort in its simplicity and ease of use, and admits he's hesitant to switch to a new car loaded with unfamiliar digital features. To strip people of such personal belongings without offering meaningful alternatives is deeply unfair. The laughable irony is that those who carefully maintain their cars to meet emission norms are treated the same as those who do not. That is not environmental justice. It is regulatory laziness.
Let us not forget the socioeconomic dimension. Most people cannot afford to replace their vehicles every ten years. Unlike in developed nations where car loans are cheap, roads well-paved, and public transport abundant, Indian cities present a harsher reality. Not everyone wants a shiny new SUV. Many simply want to hold on to what works. What Delhi (and other polluted cities) needs is a smart, citizen-first pollution policy. One that measures actual emissions, not arbitrary cut-off years. One that invites people to be part of the solution, not the problem. Awareness, not anxiety, is what will drive real change.
Delhi’s Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, and Environment Minister, Mr. Manjinder Sirsa, offer a glimmer of hope to Delhiites. The government now says it is reconsidering the directive to deny fuel based on automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. Mr. Sirsa’s letter to the Commission for Air Quality Management rightly points out the technical, social, and administrative challenges involved. More importantly, it recognises the public backlash from people who feel unheard and unfairly targeted. They are considering a solution based not on banning all overage vehicles, but on actual pollution emitted by vehicles. To be clear, no one is arguing against environmental regulation. But good governance involves nuance. If a car, old or new, violates emission norms, let it be fined or restricted. But let it be judged on facts, not just the calendar. Even the National Green Tribunal’s 2015 ban on overage vehicles was meant to address end-of-life vehicles that spew visible smoke, not well-maintained classics, or seldom-used personal vehicles.
As citizens, we all must do our part: limit non-essential travel, use public transport, carpool, switch to cleaner fuels, and hold polluters, industrial and vehicular alike - accountable. But the solution lies in cooperation, not coercion. awareness to the society so that it becomes a part of life of individual to see pollution stops, in testing, not targeting. Let us not throw the baby out with the bathwater. We can and must clean Delhi’s air. But not by punishing people for preserving what they love, or for being unable to afford what they do not need. The real test of a pollution policy is not how quickly it bans, but how wisely it balances the need for clean air with the rights and realities of its citizens. Let that be the road we take.
