New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Fuel retailers' body DPDA on Tuesday hailed the central government panel's decision to defer the fuel ban on end-of-life (EOL) or overage vehicles until November 1, saying the move gives them ample time to prepare for the implementation.

According to sources, Centre's panel on air quality in Delhi-NCR CAQM on Tuesday decided to put on hold the implementation of the fuel ban on end-of-life or overage vehicles in the national capital until November 1.

"This delay will allow the government to address technical issues and carry out trial runs at petrol pumps. During this time, they can carry out trial runs and address issues related to positioning of cameras, announcements, etc," Nischal Singhania, president of DPDA (Delhi Petrol Dealers' Association) said.

Diesel vehicles older than 10 years and those run on petrol for more than 15 years are referred as EOL.

According to directions issued earlier, such vehicles were not to be given fuel in Delhi from July 1, irrespective of states they are registered in.

Sources said that CAQM, at a review meeting on Tuesday, decided to put on hold the implementation of the directions in Delhi.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa last week requested the Commission For Air Quality Management (CAQM) to withhold action against such vehicles, calling the move "premature and potentially counterproductive", citing "operational and infrastructural challenges".

Singhania said that fuel dealers had demanded that the ban be applied in neighbouring areas too and that has also been directed by CAQM now.

The drive in Delhi will be launched along with five high-vehicle-density districts adjoining the national capital, including Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Sonipat, from November 1 this year, the sources said.

Singhania said that the authorities have their task cut out for the next few months.

"In Delhi, there are about 400 petrol pumps, but it is not known how many such pumps are there across NCR. It will be a massive task," he added.

B S Vohra, president of the East Delhi Federation of RWAs, said that instead of scrapping older vehicles without assessment, authorities should focus on strengthening the Pollution Under Control (PUC) system to ensure only non-polluting vehicles are allowed on roads.

"Whether it is July or November, referring to private vehicles as 'overage' or 'end-of-life' without any pollution check does not make sense. A robust and transparent PUC system can effectively ensure that no polluting vehicle new or old is on the roads," Vohra said.

Saurabh Gandhi, president of the United Residents of Delhi, said residents support the effort to tackle pollution but stressed on a fair and practical approach.

"We are altogether in the initiative to curb pollution in Delhi. People have suffered for years due to poor air quality. If vehicles found to be polluting are taken off the roads, it will certainly help bring down pollution levels," Gandhi said.

Fuel stations in Delhi have installed Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to detect EOL vehicles.

The camera reads the number plate of vehicles entering fuel stations and instantly checks with the central VAHAN database, which shows details like the vehicle's age, fuel type and registration.

If the vehicle is found to be EOL, the system alerts the fuel station staff not to refuel it. The violation is recorded and sent to enforcement agencies, who are then required to take actions such as impounding and scrapping the vehicle.

However, public discontent and outcry over the move prompted the Delhi government to request the CAQM to halt the implementation of the move.

The installation of ANPR cameras in the five high-density districts is to be completed by October 31. PTI SLB SHB HVA