CAQM To Ban New Non-Electric Light Goods Vehicles In Gurugram From July 2027

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has announced that no new CNG, diesel, or petrol Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs) weighing under 3,500 kg will be permitted for registration in Gurugram and several other National Capital Region (NCR) districts starting July 1, 2027.

The directive, issued on Wednesday following a meeting headed by CAQM chairperson Rajesh Verma, aims to enforce a phased transition toward electric commercial goods vehicles to curb PM2.5 emissions across the airshed.

Under the phased mandate, the ban on registering new N1 category CNG, petrol, and diesel LGVs will first take effect in Delhi on January 1, 2027. It will then apply across the NCR districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar from July 1, 2027. In the rest of the NCR, new registrations of diesel and petrol N1 LGVs will be prohibited starting January 1, 2028.

According to the CAQM, light goods vehicles constitute only about 1.2% of the active vehicle fleet in Delhi-NCR but contribute approximately 3.3% of particulate matter emissions from the total active fleet.

Addressing the inclusion of CNG vehicles in the restrictions, the CAQM stated that while CNG reduces primary particulate emissions compared to diesel, it continues to generate substantial nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, which serve as a key precursor to secondary PM2.5 formation.

The commission referenced a 2022 analysis by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) estimating that vehicular NOx accounts for 18% to 22% of the total NOx load in the NCR airshed, with CNG fleets responsible for a substantial share. CAQM noted that secondary particulates represent the largest contributor to ambient PM2.5 concentrations in the region, making up 27% in winter and 17% in summer.