Delhi to get its first scrapping unit for end-of-life vehicles

“Earlier, the Transport department had approved a list of RVSFs, some of which had their offices in Delhi. However, the scrap yards of these companies were located in other states, especially in NCR, like Ghaziabad and Meerut. This is going to be the first time such a unit will be established in Delhi,” said a department official.

Officials added that due to concerns about environmental pollution, the companies dealing with vehicle scraping were not allowed to set up scrapping units or scrap yards in the Capital until last year.

However, following the implementation of scientific methods to scrap and dismantle overage vehicles, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) last year decided to categorise scrapping units under the ‘Orange’ category industry and allow private companies to set up scrapping units inside the city.

‘Orange’ category industries, as defined by the Central Pollution Control Board, are those that contribute to moderate levels of pollution.

“A key aim behind this decision is to also restrict mushrooming illegal scrap yards, leading to pollution. If the scrap yards were authorised by the government, people would also be able to avail of hassle-free service,” said a senior official.

“EZWaste Recycling Private Limited had first applied for permission from the DPCC. After receiving a nod from the board, it had sought the Transport Department’s approval last year,” the official added.

The company has been given the licence to scrap ‘L’ (light vehicles), ‘M’ (motor vehicles), ‘N’ (vehicles carrying goods) and other categories of vehicles and can scrap 70,000 vehicles annually, said officials.

For several years now, petrol vehicles over the age of 15 years and diesel vehicles over the age of 10 years have not been allowed to run in Delhi, which has a little over 1 lakh end-of-life vehicles.

The department had started de-registering such vehicles from January 2022, following directions from the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal. However, these vehicles can be sold in other states after procuring no-objection certificates from the Delhi Transport Department.

The department had first launched an extensive drive against such vehicles in March 2023, which continued till September.

During Diwali of 2024, the department, along with other enforcement agencies like the Traffic Police and Municipal Corporation of Delhi launched a similar drive. As many as 17 RVSFs were then authorised to scrap vehicles. From last October to this February, 28,049 end-of-life have been impounded, said officials.