Ban on 10/15-yr-old vehicles: NGT asks Delhi govt to clear stand in two weeks

A Bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar took the government to task for its reluctance to implement the 2014 order. In its response, the counsel appearing for the Delhi government said the government do not have the power to cancel registration of vehicles and those impounded last year had to be released on court orders. 

The Green Tribunal said that the power to impound vehicles was given to the Delhi government in accordance to the court order and the NGT had also asked why it did not impose environment compensation on the impounded vehicles which the court had allowed in its order. The matter is put up for hearing on July 19.

It must be noted that in the context of high levels of air pollution in the national Capital, the NGT in 2014 had ordered to ban all diesel-run vehicles, which are more than 10 years old in the city. The green body had said: “A number of countries like Brazil, China, Denmark etc are in the process or have prohibited diesel vehicles or, in the process of doing away with them and imposing stringent taxes on the vehicles.”

“We have already noticed that certain stringent measures need to be taken to ensure that residents of Delhi do not travel closer to ill-health with each breath they take. 

Thus, we direct all diesel vehicles, heavy or light, which are 10 years old will not be permitted on the roads of Delhi and NCR,” a Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar had also said. Later, the Supreme Court had also dismissed the plea challenging the Tribunal’s order.