3-lakh vehicles in Punjab may qualify for scrappage, finds study

Super-emitters (SEs), which are vehicles that pollute far more than normal vehicles, account for only 11 per cent to 28 per cent of Punjab’s vehicular fleet.

However, they contribute to 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 a research-based think tank, the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP). The study, which was released at the India Clean Air Summit (ICAS) 2026 on Friday, said Punjab has approximately 3 lakh vehicles that may qualify for scrapping, for which the state requires 15 operational registered vehicle scrapping facilities (RVSFs).

With only five operational scrapping facilities in the state, an investment of about Rs 140 crore would be needed to build 10 more such facilities. Swagata Dey, who leads the Air Quality Policy and Outreach group at CSTEP, says, “The state has shown the way for electrification of auto rickshaws and passenger vehicles.

However, 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.”

The study found that although HCVs make 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 Punjab’s vehicle fleet but contribute only 228 tonnes/year of PM2.5 emissions. As part of the study, surveys were conducted across six districts—Patiala, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Moga and Hoshiarpur.

They showed that the majority of vehicles (89 per cent) plying on the road were registered in Punjab, indicating that a strong state-level regulatory framework could significantly reduce transport emissions. Survey data also revealed that vehicles aged 10–15 years continue to ply across categories, especially among three-wheelers and the commercial fleet. Further, major cross-district vehicle movement occurs within Punjab, suggesting that the current city-specific approach, as enshrined in the National Clean Air Programme, may not be best suited to addressing Punjab’s vehicular emissions.

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