No new CNG, diesel or petrol Light Goods Vehicle (LGV), with weight below 3,500 kgs (N1 category) will be permitted to be registered in the national capital from January 1, 2027 and across the NCR districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar from July 1, 2027, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Wednesday, calling for a phased transition towards electric goods vehicles.
Issuing the direction, the CAQM said LGVs make up only about 1.2% of the active vehicle stock in Delhi NCR but contribute about 3.3% of PM emissions from the total active fleet, requiring action.
Measure to curb PM2.5 emissions
In the meeting, headed by chairperson Rajesh Verma, CAQM said the direction needed to be implemented across NCR in a phased manner.
“The measure has been taken in view of the significant contribution of the vehicular sector to PM2.5 emissions in Delhi-NCR and the disproportionately high particulate emissions from LGVs, which constitute only about 1.2% of the active vehicle stock but contribute approximately 3.3% of PM emissions from the total active fleet,” CAQM said in a statement.
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CNG's release of secondary particulate matter
Referring to CNG, CAQM in its order said while it significantly reduces primary particulate emissions compared to diesel, but it still continues to generate substantial nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, a key precursor to secondary PM2.5 formation, referring further to a TERI analysis (2022) which had estimated that vehicular NOx accounts for 18-22% of total NOx load in the NCR airshed and CNG fleets are responsible for a substantial share of this.
{{/usCountry}}Referring to CNG, CAQM in its order said while it significantly reduces primary particulate emissions compared to diesel, but it still continues to generate substantial nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, a key precursor to secondary PM2.5 formation, referring further to a TERI analysis (2022) which had estimated that vehicular NOx accounts for 18-22% of total NOx load in the NCR airshed and CNG fleets are responsible for a substantial share of this.
{{/usCountry}}“Secondary particulates constitute the largest identified contributor to ambient PM2.5 concentrations in the Delhi-NCR (27% in winter and 17% in summer).“The continued reliance on CNG shifts pollution from directly emitted exhaust particles to chemically formed secondary particulate matter rather than eliminating it. Therefore, a phased approach to restricting the future registration of CNG LGVs and accelerating transition to cleaner technologies is necessary to achieve sustained improvements in air quality in Delhi-NCR,” the CAQM added.
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Delhi, in its new EV policy notified on July 30, 2026, has already mandated that from January 1 2027, only electric N1 goods carriers will be permitted for new registrations in the Capital.
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