Punjab may need 15 vehicle scrapping facilities for 3 lakh vehicles

CHANDIGARH: Punjab has approximately 3 lakh vehicles that may qualify for scrapping, for which the state requires 15 operational registered vehicle scrapping facilities (RVSFs), according to a study.

Key points

• The study discovered that although HCVs produce up just 1.6 per cent of Punjab's total vehicle fleet, they emit 2, 102 tonnes of particulate matter (PM2.5) annually.
• Retrofitting Bharat Stage IV heavy commercial vehicles is estimated to cost around Rs 50, 000 per vehicle.
• It was published at the India Clean Air Summit (ICAS) 2026 on Friday.
• Super emitters (SEs), which are vehicles that pollute far more than normal vehicles, account for only 11 to 28 per cent of Punjab's vehicular fleet.
• As part of the study, surveys were conducted throughout six districts – Patiala, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Moga and Hoshiarpur.

Super emitters (SEs), which are vehicles that pollute far more than normal vehicles, account for only 11 to 28 per cent of Punjab's vehicular fleet. Nevertheless, they contribute more than 70 per cent of the state's transport emissions.

This high emitter paradox is highlighted by a study titled 'Pathways for Clean Transportation in Punjab' by the research-based think tank, the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP). It was published at the India Clean Air Summit (ICAS) 2026 on Friday.

For context, the study focused on the role of SEs due to their higher emission factors, typically four to 11 times those of non super emitters, and analysed Punjab's vehicular fleet and emission profile using category wise, district-wise and Bharat Stage (BS) wise estimates.

Swagata Dey, who leads the Air Quality Policy and Outreach group at CSTEP, notes, "The state has shown the way for electrification of auto rickshaws and passenger vehicles. Nevertheless, older legacy heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) emit disproportionately more and will have to be tackled by isolating and addressing SEs, for Punjab to achieve clean transport systems."

In practice, the study discovered that although HCVs produce up just 1.6 per cent of Punjab's total vehicle fleet, they emit 2, 102 tonnes of particulate matter (PM2.5) annually.

In contrast, two wheelers account for a majority of the state's vehicle fleet but contribute only 228 tonnes per year of PM2.5 emissions.

While 15 are required to handle the estimated 3 lakh vehicles that may qualify for scrapping, punjab at present has only five operational RVSFs. An investment of regarding Rs 140 crore would be needed to build 10 more RVSFs.

With an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore per setup, installing remote sensing units at major entry and exit points of cities and industrial corridors and linking them with the vehicle registration portal could significantly reduce the regional PM2.5 load.

As part of the study, surveys were conducted throughout six districts – Patiala, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Moga and Hoshiarpur. They indicated that most of vehicles, 89 per cent, plying on the roads were registered in Punjab, indicating that a robust state level regulatory framework could significantly reduce transport emissions.

In practice, the survey data additionally disclosed that vehicles aged 10 to 15 years continue to ply throughout categories, especially among three wheelers and the commercial fleet.

As enshrined in the National Clean Air Programme, may not be best suited to addressing the state's vehicular emissions, further, major cross district vehicle movement occurs within Punjab, suggesting that the current city specific approach.

Notably, the study calls for targeted interventions rather than uniform fleet wide measures to address the fleet emissions imbalance, in which most vehicles comply with emission norms, but a few poorly maintained HCVs dominate overall emissions.

Focused policies on SEs, including strengthened inspection, scrappage and retrofitting, can deliver significant emission reductions.

Extending a similar regulatory focus to non-road diesel vehicle sources, such as agricultural machinery, and enhancing real-time monitoring and enforcement will further amplify the impact.

Notably, a cleaner transport future in Punjab will require a combination of data-driven regulation, targeted interventions and infrastructure investment.

With over 89 per cent of vehicles being locally registered, state level enforcement of age-based retirement, low-emission zones and retrofitting of BS IV HCVs can yield substantial emission reductions.

Taken together, the developments around punjab may need 15 vehicle scrapping facilities for 3 lakh vehicles point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.