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Delhi is set to open its first registered vehicle scrapping facility to combat pollution and unauthorized scrapping.
The facility will monitor air and water quality, targeting vehicles older than 15 years for petrol and 10 years for diesel.
This move is seen as crucial for fleet renewal and environmental protection, as it not only reduces emissions but also recycles materials from old vehicles, preventing toxic contamination.

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The facility will help reduce pollution in Delhi

Delhi to get its 1st registered vehicle scrapping facility soon

By Dwaipayan Roy

Oct 12, 2024

03:05 pm

What's the story

Delhi will soon get its first registered vehicle scrapping facility (RVSF) for the eco-friendly disposal of old vehicles. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has categorized these facilities as an orange category industry, meaning they pose a moderate pollution risk. The DPCC will also monitor the functioning of these units under different environmental laws pertaining to hazardous waste, e-waste, and plastic waste management.

Pollution control

Scrapping facility to combat illegal units, pollution

The DPCC has also raised concerns over the rise of unauthorized scrapping facilities in residential areas without proper pollution control measures. The committee believes legalizing such facilities in Delhi will prevent this. "Any private entity with access to land in an industrial area and capital can apply for consent to operate," a DPCC official said. The monitoring of air and water quality, especially for lead levels, will be done by the DPCC, the official added.

Vehicle impoundment

Delhi's plan to impound end-of-life vehicles

Currently, Delhi has no such scrapping facilities. To curb vehicular pollution, the transport department is cracking down on end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) and ferrying seized ones to RVSFs in neighboring states. All petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years are classified as ELVs. The Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal have directed to restrict registration and use of ELVs.

Infrastructure importance

Scrapping infrastructure crucial for fleet renewal, environment

Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of Research and Advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), stressed the need for a well-organized scrappage infrastructure. She said it is an integral part of any fleet renewal policy and schemes to replace older vehicles with new ones. "While this can reduce emissions from older and polluting vehicles, it also helps recover material from the old fleet for reuse while preventing toxic contamination of the environment," Roychowdhury added.