New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday announced that it will file a review petition against the National Green Tribunal’s order to ban diesel vehicles that are over 10 years old.
In its July order, the NGT bench, headed by Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, had reiterated its earlier order and said that commercial vehicles older than 10 years would not ply in the capital, while new diesel vehicles that are not compliant with BS-IV (Bharat Stage emission norms) and are not needed for essential services (such as ambulances, fire services, food carriers) will also not be registered.
Singed by protests around the capital, organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Union, the government said that it would soon file a review petition against the Tribunal's order. The decision was taken at a meeting held here under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
In the July order, the NGT noted that "statistics indicates the fact that the extent of pollution being caused by vehicles was primarily by the old vehicles which substantially contribute majorly to the air quality and therefore requires measures to be initiated."
The Central government, the NGT had said, "Failed to substantiate" that using diesel as a fuel in vehicles older than 10-years "will not be detrimental to the health of people and further failed to negate statistical information that the PM level in vehicular emissions consequent to diesel as fuel was scientifically proved to be carcinogenic leading to fatality and undetectable set back in health shortening the life span and render the living being particularly the human being and infant physically infirm and victim of poor health."
Before the July order, several applications had also sought the continuation of diesel vehicles, older than 10-years, that don't comply with BS-IV norms for essential services. The bench had clarified, "Though tribunal has made an exception in respect of vehicles meant for essential services on ad-hoc basis, such exception has not been made across the board".
Importantly, owner of diesel vehicles in Moradabad, Meerut, Bulandshahr and Muzaffarnagar districts of Uttar Pradesh had sought the extension for three years after the expiry of the 10-year-old period. They, the bench had said, were permitted to use them, as long as they don't enter the capital.
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