NGT refuses to lift ban on 10-year-old diesel vehicles

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday refused to lift ban on diesel vehicles which are more than 10-years-old in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). The Green Tribunal has dismissed Centre's plea seeking modification of its ban order on diesel vehicles.

A bench headed by justice Swatanter Kumar government's plea on the ground that the Supreme Court has also junked a similar plea. Refusing to lift the ban on 10-year-old diesel vehicles in Delhi-NCR, NGT said, "one diesel vehicle causes pollution equal to 24 petrol vehicles and 40 CNG vehicles".

NGT order has come in the wake of rising pollution levels in Delhi and NCR causing health risks for its population.​ In April 2015, the tribunal had ordered that all diesel vehicles of more than 10 years old would not be permitted to ply in Delhi. In January 2017, the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking the lifting of the ban on 10-year-old diesel vehicles in Delhi and NCR, saying it was affecting the economically weaker section of people.

The government had asked the Tribunal to remove the ban on older diesel cars in the capital stating that they were not major contributors to air pollution. The Central Government argued that the NGT can't prove that 10-year-old or more diesel vehicles are the sole reason for causing pollution while other kinds of fuel - like CNG and petrol cause pollution in different capacities.