1 year target set for vehicle replacement scheme in Delhi, Haryana, UP

The PARIVARTAN scheme seeks to reduce vehicular emissions from trucks and buses ahead of next winter for major northern states and cities.

The Centre plans to complete registration of all beneficiaries under its PARIVARTAN scheme for replacing older commercial vehicles within a year, around half the two-year timeline approved by the Union Cabinet in June, as it seeks to reduce vehicular emissions from trucks and buses ahead of next winter, officials said on Friday.

Ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) secretary V Umashankar said the ministry was targeting 230,000 truck and bus registrations under the scheme within a year, with an interim target of 25,000 registrations by the end of October. (HT Photo)

Ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) secretary V Umashankar said the ministry was targeting 230,000 truck and bus registrations under the scheme within a year, with an interim target of 25,000 registrations by the end of October. “If this initiative runs well, the visible results will be there for everyone to see next winter,” Umashankar said, referring to the improvement seen after Delhi’s conversion and adoption of CNG between 1998 and 2002.

PARIVARTAN scheme

PARIVARTAN, or Programme for Accelerated Renewal and Incentivization of Vehicle Assets for Reducing Transport Air Pollution and Network Emissions for Delhi-NCR, seeks to replace older commercial vehicles, including BS-IV and older trucks and buses, with BS-VI or electric vehicles.

The scheme has so far resulted in 1,357 vehicles being registered for replacement – 1,094 trucks and 263 buses. Delhi accounts for 785 registrations, followed by Haryana with 423, Rajasthan with 93 and Uttar Pradesh with 56.

Individual owners account for 651 of the vehicles registered so far, making them the largest beneficiary group, officials said.

Streamlined mechanism

The scheme’s single-point portal is designed as a one-stop platform connecting government agencies, vehicle manufacturers, dealers, banks, oil marketing companies and gas companies. Officials familiar with the system said it integrates databases including VAHAN, Digi ELV and V-Scrap, allowing beneficiaries to complete eligibility checks, vehicle scrapping, financing and incentive claims through a single digital workflow.

The Centre has urged Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to step up awareness and outreach, as registrations remain concentrated in Delhi and Haryana. The government is seeking to accelerate uptake in the other states and build a faster fleet-renewal programme before the next winter pollution season.

The push comes as Delhi continues to face severe air pollution. The Capital recorded an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 99.6µg/m³ in the World Air Quality Report 2025 by IQAir, nearly 20 times the World Health Organization’s annual guideline, according to the report.