Delhi's High Court halts proceedings against aged diesel and gasoline automobiles in the regions of Delhi-NCR.
The Delhi government has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the 2018 ruling that banned diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi-NCR. The government argues that the blanket ban based solely on vehicle age is outdated and impractical, especially after the introduction of Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission standards in April 2020.
The petition raises concerns about the fairness of the age-based ban, as it disproportionately affects middle-class citizens owning older but well-maintained and less-used vehicles. The government also highlights feasibility and implementation challenges faced by enforcement agencies and practical hardships caused to citizens.
The main arguments presented in the petition include the need for individual vehicles' actual pollution levels or roadworthiness to be assessed, rather than a blanket ban. The petition also requests the court to direct the Central Government or the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to conduct a comprehensive scientific study on the actual environmental benefits of the age-based ban versus targeted emission-based restrictions.
In the meantime, the Supreme Court has given temporary relief to owners of older vehicles by directing that no coercive action be taken against them while the review petition is being heard.
The dispute originated in 2015 when the National Green Tribunal banned diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi-NCR to combat air pollution. The Supreme Court upheld this order in 2018, but the Delhi government has now questioned its relevance in light of new emission standards and technological advancements.
RTI replies have revealed that CAQM had not conducted new research before reimposing the ban this year. The CAQM directive requires fuel stations to stop supplying fuel to certain vehicles and calls for their scrapping, in line with a 2018 Supreme Court ruling.
In 2024, the Delhi government issued guidelines for handling end-of-life vehicles in public places. The petition calls for a comprehensive scientific study by the Union Government and CAQM to determine whether the ban actually benefits the environment.
During Tuesday's hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the petition, but no further details were disclosed. The Delhi government's current status is that the review petition is filed and pending hearing, with ongoing administrative studies supporting its case. The government departments of Transport and Environment have been tasked to review the policy’s effectiveness, public feedback, and air quality impact before finalizing the petition and possible further course of action.
The discussion revolves around upcoming developments in the automotive landscape, including the introduction of electric vehicles and technological advancements. The petition suggests that stricter emission monitoring, wider pollution testing, and BS-VI norms have made an age-based ban unnecessary, raising the question of whether India should stick to age-based bans or adopt pollution-level testing for all vehicles. The outcome of the review petition could have significant implications for the automotive industry and air quality in Delhi-NCR.
The petition, filed by the Delhi government, requests the Supreme Court to direct scientific research on the actual environmental benefits of the age-based vehicle ban, suggesting a shift toward emission-based restrictions instead. The government's call for a comprehensive study comes amid ongoing discussions about the automotive industry's future, particularly the implementation of electric vehicles and stricter emission monitoring. In the interim, the Supreme Court has granted temporary relief to owners of older vehicles, highlighting the ongoing review petition.
