NGT refuses to lift ban on 10-yr-old diesel cars in Delhi-NCR

September 14, 2017 19:04

A decade old diesel vehicles will now have to go off the roads with the National Green Tribunal today declining to lift its ban on them in Delhi-NCR, noting that emissions from diesel vehicles were carcinogenic.

The green panel said the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has failed to prove that the use of 10 year old vehicles will not be harmful to the health of people.

It also said that a report of the pollution monitoring body has declared that one new diesel car is equivalent to 24 petrol and 84 new CNG cars on road.

Refusing to recall its order directing deregistration of old diesel vehicles, the green tribunal said the Ministry's plea seeking modification of the NGT direction was not maintainable and liable to be rejected at the threshold.

A bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar also junked the government's plea on the ground that the Supreme Court has rejected similar appeals challenging the ban on vehicles and the orders passed by this Tribunal had reached "logical end and finality."

"Undisputedly, the applicant (Centre) had failed to substantiate before passing of the order dated April 7, 2015 that use of diesel vehicles of more than 10 years will not be detrimental to the health of people and further failed to negate statistical information that the particulate matter level in vehicular emissions consequent to diesel as fuel was scientifically proved to be carcinogenic, leading to fatality and undetectable setback in health shortening the life span...," the bench said.

Referring to a report published by the Central Pollution Control Board, the green body said the use of diesel in vehicles was highly toxic carcinogenic and leads to untimely fatality.

"The report speaks loudly, that it is the most harmful of the exhaust emissions which release particulate emission, that is carcinogenic. The report declares one new diesel car is equivalent to 24 petrol cars and 84 new CNG cars on road," the tribunal said.

The bench which delivered the judgement also comprised Justices Jawad Rahim and R S Rathore and expert member B S Sajwan.

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