Bhubaneswar: In a bid to curb vehicular pollution, the State Transport Authority (STA) has directed all petrol pumps in Odisha to install AI-powered automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. The move aims to strengthen monitoring of Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates and ensure cleaner air in urban areas.
Following the example of New Delhi, where over 500 petrol stations now use ANPR cameras to scan vehicle plates and verify PUC certificates against the VAHAN database, Odisha will adopt a similar system. Vehicles without valid PUC certificates or those overdue will be denied fuel.
Petrol pump owners in the state are required to bear the initial cost of installing the cameras. However, the Commerce & Transport Department may consider sharing a portion of the expenses depending on the price of the devices.
Transport Commissioner-cum-STA Chairman Amitabh Thakur said the system will be operational from the first week of January.
“Petrol pumps have been asked to install ANPR cameras to check the PUC of vehicles before refueling. Until the cameras are installed, authorised testing centers have been instructed to paste a sticker on vehicles indicating PUC validity,” he added.
AI-powered ANPR cameras automatically read vehicle number plates and match them with records in the VAHAN database. If a vehicle lacks a valid PUC, the system alerts petrol pump staff, who can then refuse fuel until the certificate is updated.
