ഡൽഹിയിൽ മലിനീകരണം കുറയ്ക്കാൻ കർശന നടപടി: 2030-ഓടെ ബിഎസ്-4 വാഹനങ്ങൾ നിരത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഒഴിവാക്കുന്നു

Delhi and the National Capital Region could see a major overhaul of the way people buy, own and use vehicles if a roadmap prepared by an expert committee is implemented, with the panel proposing the immediate removal of BS-1 to BS-3 vehicles and a phased exit of BS-4 vehicles by 2030.

The committee, in its interim report submitted to the Commission for Air Quality Management on August 18, has proposed that BS-4 vehicles face a pilot restriction across Delhi and the NCR from the winter of 2026, followed by wider implementation from the next year. BS-6 two-wheelers and four-wheelers have been proposed for phased withdrawal by 2035 and 2040, respectively.

The scale of the proposed shift is underlined by the existing vehicle mix. The NCR has 2.21 crore active and fitness-approved vehicles, but only 3.6 lakh, or 1.6 per cent, are electric. About 57 per cent are BS-4 or older. BS-1 to BS-3 vehicles account for about 30 per cent of the fleet but contribute nearly 74 per cent of particulate matter emissions, while BS-6 vehicles, which make up more than 41 per cent, contribute about 7 per cent.

The proposal also seeks to change what consumers can buy. The share of zero-tailpipe-emission vehicles in new private four-wheeler sales in Delhi and the NCR has been proposed at 20 per cent in 2027, 45 per cent in 2028, 70 per cent in 2029 and 100 per cent by 2030. Vehicle makers would have to report their monthly sales and zero-emission sales, with registration curbs proposed for companies that miss the targets.

The panel has proposed that three-wheelers, two-wheeler taxis, delivery vehicles and light goods vehicles be made zero-emission from April 1, 2027. Similar targets have been proposed for four-wheeler taxis and medium and heavy buses from April 1, 2028, and for medium and heavy goods vehicles by 2031 and 2032.

The plan goes beyond vehicle exhaust. It proposes a legal 'Right to Charge' for residents, restrictions on high-pollution zones, congestion pricing and remote sensing of vehicle emissions from April 2028.

It also calls for action against road dust, construction emissions, waste burning, industries, diesel generators and crop residue burning.