15-year-old Petrol and 10-year-old Diesel vehicles not to ply in Delhi-NCR, Supreme Court

In a major order passed today, the Supreme Court directed that Transport Departments of National Capital Region (NCR) to immediately announce that all Diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years’ old and Petrol vehicles which are more than 15 years’ old shall not ply in NCR..The Supreme Court adverted to the order passed by the National Green Tribunal in April 2015 while directing that vehicles violating the order should be impounded..The order was passed by a Bench of Justices Madan B Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta..“The Transport Departments of NCR will immediately announce that all the diesel vehicles more than 10 years’ old and petrol vehicles more than 15 years’ old shall not ply in NCR in terms of the order of the National Green 6 Tribunal dated 07.04.2015. The order of the National Green Tribunal was challenged in this Court and the Civil Appeal was dismissed. Vehicles violating the order will be impounded.”.The list of such vehicles should be published on the websites of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Transport Departments of NCR. Similarly, a ‘meaningful advertisement’ should be published in a local newspaper for the convenience of the owners of the vehicles, the Court directed..The Court also directed the CPCB to create a social media account on which the citizens may lodge their complaint directly to be acted upon by the Task Force responsible for implementation of Graded Response Action Plan..The Court also gave liberty to the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) to take pre-emptive steps under the Graded Response Action Plan without strict adherence to pollution stages delineated in the plan..The Court also observed that a note prepared by the Chairman of EPCA and the photographs attached to the note indicated a fairly terrible state of affairs with regard to pollution in various parts of Delhi..“It is for this reason, we are compelled to pass the above orders in the first instance”, the Court noted..The Court then proceeded to direct the Delhi Government as well as the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation to file an affidavit within two days with regard to the Note submitted by the Chairman, EPCA on visits to hot spots of NCR to ascertain ground level enforcement of directions issued and actions taken.The matter is now listed for hearing on November 1 ..Read the order below.