The National Vehicle Scrapping Policy, unveiled in 2021, was meant to be a transformative step toward cleaner air, safer roads, and a more efficient economy. Yet, more than two years after its launch, Jammu and Kashmir continues to drag its feet, with no Automated Testing Stations, no Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities, and no state-specific policy framework in place. The inaction is puzzling and deeply concerning, given the clear guidelines provided by the Union Government. Scrapping old vehicles is not mandatory under the current framework. However, the policy is designed to encourage voluntary phasing out of vehicles that have crossed 15 years of service by offering incentives such as tax waivers, registration fee reductions, and discounts on the purchase of new vehicles. Without these incentives, many owners continue to run old, fuel-guzzling, high-maintenance vehicles, adding to pollution, congestion, and road safety risks. Automobile technology has undergone revolutionary changes in recent decades. From carburettor-based vehicles to MPFI systems, from CNG alternatives to the arrival of electric vehicles, innovation has redefined mobility. Retaining decades-old vehicles not only undermines efficiency but also locks people into outdated and unsafe systems. Meanwhile, fossil fuel consumption continues to drain billions of dollars in imports while making urban air quality worse. In this context, the absence of a scrapping ecosystem in J&K is unacceptable.
The cascading benefits of scrappage are well documented. Cleaner air means healthier citizens. Fewer unfit vehicles mean safer roads. Organised scrappage facilities can unlock investment in recycling plants, boost demand for new vehicles, and generate employment across both formal and informal sectors. It is also a matter of urban aesthetics: thousands of idle, unused vehicles currently clutter roadsides and private spaces simply because owners have no mechanism to dispose of them. What is particularly troubling is the bureaucratic cycle of queries and counter-queries that has stalled the process in J&K. When a national policy already provides a clear blueprint, such a delay reflects nothing but a lack of seriousness. The Government must treat this issue with urgency. Only focused and time-bound action will yield the positive results that this policy promises-not just for the environment, but for the economy and public safety of J&K.
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