The National Green Tribunal on Thursday refused to lift or modify its order banning 10-year old diesel vehicles in Delhi-NCR. Dismissing the government’s petition, the green court said the pollution emitted by one diesel vehicle is equivalent to 24 petrol and 40 CNG vehicles. Also Read – Government Plans Linking Driving License To Aadhaar
Referring to a report from Central Pollution Control Board report, the three-member bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar said emissions from diesel vehicles were highly carcinogenic in nature and led to untimely damage.
The tribunal also junked the submission of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways claiming that the order banning 10-year old diesel vehicles was a violation of Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. It further said that since the government had failed to curb pollution in the city, the NGT could not be a ‘silent spectator’ and let people suffer. Also Read – Maruti Suzuki Presents 35 Cars to Haryana Police
Interestingly, the Supreme Court had also declined a similar plea in April last year saying that the ministry of road transport and highways failed to justify that 10-year old diesel vehicles will not be harmful to the citizens of the state.
In November 2014, the National Green Tribunal banned all 10-year-old diesel vehicles in Delhi & National Capital Region, even as the auto industry & centre opposed the move. The Ministry in January this year went to the Supreme Court against the order but the apex court sent the matter back to the NGT.
