National Green Tribunal ruled 10-year old diesel vehicles cannot ply on Delhi roads

National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 7 April 2015 banned all the diesel vehicles, heavy or light, over 10 years old from plying on Delhi roads.

It asked the governments and concerned agencies to ensure within 20 hours that all entry points have units to check pollution levels, weight and age of vehicle.

The ruling was given by a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar.

In the order passed, the bench noted that a number of countries in the world are in the process or have prohibited diesel vehicles or are in the process of doing away with them by imposing very heavy taxes.  Some of these countries include Denmark, Brazil, China and Sri Lanka.

Further it called for implementing certain stringent measures to ensure that residents of the area do not travel closer to ill-health with each breath they take.

Besides, the bench also passed strict orders against any illegal construction activity that emanated dust in the air and also banned all hawkers and squatters from metalled roads in Lajpat Nagar and Chandni Chowk.

Earlier in November 2014, the tribunal had banned all the petrol vehicles over 15-year old from plying on Delhi roads. The decision was passed while hearing a petition of Vardhaman Kaushik who had contended that the level of particulates in Delhi is raising manifold and the reasons for which should be identified and curbed.

Delhi has the dubious status of being the world’s most polluted city according to World Health Organisation (WHO).