National Green Tribunal asks for clear stand on diesel vehicles

The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday asked the Centre and Delhi government to make clear their stand on Wednesday on capping and scrapping of diesel cars and providing incentives to those who do not use private vehicles after car dealers sought modifications in its ‘harsh’ order.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to Ministries of Road Transport, Environment and Forests and Heavy Industries as well as Delhi government and others while hearing the plea of car dealers seeking modification of order banning registration of new diesel vehicles.

“We are saddled with stocks of 2015 which would be difficult to dispose in 2016 due the order passed by NGT,” said senior advocate Pinaki Misra, appearing for Delhi based car dealers. He asked the tribunal to modify the order so that the existing stocks of diesel cars be sold as this was the month for giving discounts and high sale was expected.

The green panel, however, said that a similar matter was scheduled for hearing in Supreme Court so it will not be proper for it to pass any directions. 

In the wake of alarming pollution levels in the city, the tribunal had earlier ordered that diesel-run vehicles will not be registered in Delhi and there will be no renewal of registration of such vehicles which are more than 10-year-old.