"Pollution Politics: Why Well-Maintained Vehicles Deserve the Road — Not the Wrecking Yard"

In India, private vehicles are issued a fitness certificate valid for 15 years from the date of registration. Beyond that, they require a renewal every five years, provided the vehicle passes a standard fitness test and meets pollution norms. This long-standing regulation has served both public safety and environmental goals — without unnecessarily burdening vehicle owners.
However, recent moves by central and state governments to push blanket scrappage policies, especially targeting vehicles older than 15 years, raise critical concerns. Such proposals, while framed under the guise of reducing pollution and modernizing the fleet, ignore the real-world condition of the vehicle. A well-maintained car, whether 16 or 25 years old, can still be safe, efficient, and environmentally compliant if it passes mandatory fitness and emission checks.
The notion that "old equals polluting" is misleading. The true determinant of a vehicle’s roadworthiness should be its mechanical condition, emission levels, and safety compliance — not its age alone. Enforcing the existing fitness certificate renewal every 5 years after the 15-year mark already ensures that vehicles on Indian roads meet essential safety and environmental standards.
Moreover, many middle-class families and rural users cannot afford to replace vehicles every 10–15 years, especially when their existing ones are still fully functional. Forced scrappage disproportionately affects those who rely on their vehicles for livelihood or daily mobility and contradicts the goal of inclusive and sustainable development.
Instead of penalizing responsible owners, authorities should:
• Strengthen Automated Fitness Testing infrastructure,
• Crack down on vehicles that fail emission norms, regardless of age,
• Encourage voluntary scrappage through incentives, not coercion.
In conclusion, the path forward should not be to forcibly scrap vehicles based on age, but to respect the principle that fitness, not years, determines viability. Let the tests decide — not the calendar.
"They came, they built, they bailed — leaving citizens in chaos. Why blame the vehicle when it's the fuel that’s foul? It's time oil companies deliver cleaner petrol, not polluted promises."
"While companies flooded the market with overproduction, piled up bad
loans, and kept flipping models like fashion trends — it’s the public that’s
now being punished, forced to scrap perfectly working vehicles in the name
of 'renewal'."
"Automakers overproduced, banks over-lent, and models changed like seasons — now they want us to scrap solid, roadworthy cars just to clean up their mess!"
"We breathe green, we ride clean — because caring for the planet starts with how we drive."
"Strong nations are built on united leadership and good governance — it’s time the Centre and States work together for the people, not against them."
"They call it old, we call it legendary!"
Finally,
"Age adds value — old is not outdated, it’s upgraded!" "Don’t Scrap the Truth: Fitness, Not Age, Should Decide a Vehicle's Fate"
India EV Fire Statistics
Period/Location Number of Fires Breakdown / Notes
Karnataka (Jan 2020–Nov 2024) 83, 65 due to power leakage, 13 battery explosions, 5 accidental fires .

— 2020 -7
— 2021 -3
— 2022 -9
— 2023 -28
— 2024 -36
National – EV-related accidents (not only fires) 19,797 EV accidents recorded in MoRTH’s eDAR portal as of Mar 2025
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🛑 Additional Incident Snapshot
•Bengaluru EV showroom fire (Nov 2024): Over 25 scooters destroyed, 1 fatality and 3 injuries due to a suspected battery explosion.
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✅ Summary
•Karnataka has seen 83 EV fire incidents in 4 years, with a sharp increase in the last two years.
• While only a fraction of total EV accidents involve fires, the rise in EV usage makes battery-related fire safety an urgent priority.

"Not All Sparks Are Good”