Rising pollution levels is a major cause of worry across all major cities, especially in Delhi where pollution levels have reached an all-time high. Old vehicles, especially the ones which are poorly maintained are considerable contributors to pollution levels in the country. As India does not have a clear scrapping and recycling policy as in developed countries, most old vehicle and their components land-up at private scrapyards. To address the issue, the government plans to make it mandatory for automakers to take back old models and recycle them.
The policy is expected to be introduced next year once the environment ministry issues a notification for the same. The new rule is expected to be on similar guidelines as put forth for electronic goods. All vehicles which have become unworthy for regular use or has exceeded the time period after which it remains usable. Along with new norms for dismantling and recycling centres in the country, the automaker will also get sufficient time between one and three years to follow them.
Based on estimates from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India has around 9 million vehicles which have already reached the end-of-life cycle and the number is expected to further rise to 22 million by 2025. As around 90 per cent of vehicle components can be reused, the manufacturers can offer lucrative incentives to customers bringing in old cars. Old cars will be collected at authorised centres, while dismantling process will be taken care of by the manufacturer. The regional transport officers might also be empowered to deregister vehicles so as to ensure effectiveness of the scrapping mechanism.
