Steel recycle mandate for automakers on the anvil

The environment ministry is likely to soon issue regulations that will mandate automakers to recycle a specified percentage of steel from old vehicles, starting from the next financial year, according to people familiar with the matter.

- DEEPAK PATEL

"We recently held a meeting with members of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam). The final regulations are likely to be issued in the next 10 days," a government source informed.

The move, according to government officials, is a step toward "formalising" vehicle scrapping in the country and make automakers "active stakeholders" in the broader policy against air pollution.

India currently has just 70 registered vehicle scrapping facilities (RVSFS), as listed on Siam's website. With the impending regulations set to take effect in less than seven months, automakers will be pushed to make substantial investments, either by establishing their own RVSFS or partnering with third-party operators, the sources indicated.

The Ministry Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had earlier issued a draft notification on January 30 under the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, outlining “extended producer responsibility (EPR) for endof-life vehicles".