NGT refuses to tamper with Supreme Court order on diesel vehicles

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday refused to vacate its order banning registration of new diesel-run vehicles, saying it would not interfere with the Supreme Court order which has taken a similar stand.

In contrast to NGT’s prior order on December 11 banning registration of all diesel vehicles, the Supreme Court, on December 16, exempted small ones and specified that the diesel-run SUVs and cars having engine capacity beyond 2000 cc would not be registered in Delhi and National Capital Region till March 31.

Saying the Supreme Court has comprehensively dealt with the matter, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar said, "We will not say a word and are simply adjourning the matter. Whatever the Supreme Court has said will operate." 

The green panel's observation came while hearing a plea by five Delhi-based car dealers who had sought modification of NGT’s prior order.

Senior advocate Pinaki Misra, appearing for the car dealers, pleaded modification of the order on the grounds that existing stocks of diesel cars be sold even though on line registration of vehicles was blocked. He argued, huge losses would have to be faced by the dealer otherwise.

The petition seeking modification was filed by five car dealers - Koncept Automobiles (Lajpat Nagar), Koncept Cars India Pvt Ltd (Green Park), Ford-Rain Automotive India (Mathura Road), Hana Motor Plaza Pvt Ltd (Mathura Road) and Nath Motors Pvt Ltd (Mathura Road)- engaged in sale of vehicles of Mahindra & Mahindra, Hyundai, Honda and Ford.

The apex court, while passing a slew of directions to curb pollution in Delhi, had.

It, however, did not specify the date from which the orders will come into effect and therefore, they have been deemed to become operational with immediate effect.

Diesel emissions have in fact been reclassified as a Class I carcinogen, the same as tobacco, by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the Centre for Science and Environment, the emission from a diesel vehicle equals the emission from three to five petrol ones.

However, diesel vehicles, which amount for almost half the volume of Delhi’s private vehicles, are a huge market for automakers in the country. Delhi is in fact the country’s largest market for cars, accounting for more than a fifth of sales.

Diesel currently costs lesser than petrol and is the fuel that moves all trucks, which, along with the railways, are the main carrier of goods. A rise in diesel prices can therefore increase the prices of several goods by adding to the cost of transport.

In the meantime, the Delhi government is readying an even-odd number policy that will prohibit private vehicles from plying every alternate day. To be implemented for 15 days starting January 1, 2016, the measure could see a dip in pollution numbers.

The NGT had in November last year banned all vehicles which were more than 15 years old and held that they would not be permitted to ply on the city roads.  Also, in April of last year, the green panel had held that all diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old would not be permitted to ply in Delhi-NCR.