"BJP destroying not only Delhi but neighbouring states": AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj criticises end-of-life vehicle policy

New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANI): A day after Centre of Air Quality Management (CAQM) stayed the implementation on the policy regarding End of Life (EoL) vehicles in the national capital region till November 1, Aam Aadmi Party's Delhi president Saurabh Bhardwaj on Tuesday accused the government of "destroying" Delhi and the neighbouring states.
Speaking to ANI, Bhardwaj claimed that the Delhi government wants to expand the implementation of the EoL policy in the areas of Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and more. He claimed that this stay on banning EoL vehicles will adversely affect crores of vehicles, estimating that around 2 crore of them will be junked, instead of the earlier estimate of 62 lakh.
"Not only Delhi but also this government has destroyed the neighbouring states. They wrote a letter to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and said that whatever they are doing is right, and in this way, only the pollution will be reduced. They requested some time so that this ban can be implemented in other adjoining cities as well. CAQM agrees to implement this ban from November 1 in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Noida/Greater Noida, Faridabad, and Sonipat," the AAP leader said.
"Now, earlier, where preparation was done to give 62 lakh vehicles to junk, now around two crore vehicles will go to junk," he claimed.
Earlier on July 8, CAQM delayed the implementation of the policy after Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa flagged the issue and highlighted the Delhi government's request, citing infrastructural limitations on its implementation.
CAQM said the Delhi government brought attention to the issue in a letter on July 3, highlighting "some operational and infrastrucural challenges in implementation of direction No 89 dates April 23, 2025."
The Delhi government's letter flagged challenges in implementation by citing that the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system lacks the "requiste robustness, with issues related to technological glitches, camera placement, working of sensors and speakers, and that the system is not yet full integrated with the database of neighbouring NCR states." (ANI)