Delhi govt will make 'all out efforts' for resolution of overage vehicle ban issue: CM

New Delhi: The Delhi government will make "all out efforts" for the resolution of the problems related to the ban on end-of-life vehicles, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Thursday.

Gupta said that some people are emotionally attached to vehicles if they are gifted by a close person, like a father. Such vehicles are just keepsakes, and often they have not been driven many kilometres, the CM said at a Van Mahotsav programme organised by the Delhi government.

"This pain of Delhi people is understandable. Delhi government will make all out efforts for the resolution of this problem. We will raise the voice of people wherever necessary," Gupta emphasised.

A 2018 Supreme Court judgment banned diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi. A 2014 National Green Tribunal order also prohibits the parking of vehicles aged over 15 years in public places.

The rule came into effect on July 1, banning refuelling of such vehicles at the petrol pumps. According to some reports, the authorities also impounded some overage vehicles.

While speaking on the matter, Gupta also slammed the previous governments and charged that the issue exists as the previous governments took no steps to address the problem of air pollution.

The CM assured that the Delhi government is working to address the air pollution problem and consulting experts to protect the environment, citing measures like deployment of water sprinklers, smog guns, mechanical sweeping machines and a plan of planting 70 lakh saplings this year to curb dust.