In a huge win for environmentalists and a cleaner India, the Supreme Court today ordered a ban on the sale of vehicles that do not comply with Bharat Stage IV emission norms from 1 April.

The Court said that that public health is more important than commercial interests.

The Centre had earlier backed auto manufacturers that pleaded they had unsold stock of about 8 lakh vehicles that meet the BS III emission norms and were therefore not compliant with IV. 

The auto manufacturers had suggested the government deadline for 1 April 2017 was for stopping manufacture of BS III vehicles, and not their registration. The manufacturers had also argued companies were allowed to sell their stocks with old emission norms when new technology was introduced in 2005 and 2010.

But the apex court brushed aside this argument, going by the Bhure Lal-headed Environment Protection Control Authority's report that BS IV vehicles had 80 per cent lower particulate emissions as compared to the previous version.