Amid mounting concerns over alarming pollution levels in the national Capital, the Supreme Court on Tuesday proposed no fresh registration of diesel-run SUVs and luxury sedans above 2,000 cc for the next three months. The ban is expected to take its toll on the rich and the mighty. The proposal mooted by a Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur will form part of a six-point direction that the court will pronounce on Wednesday in an attempt to clean up Delhi’s polluted air. The order comes days after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed a similar order banning fresh registration of all diesel cars in the Capital till January 6.
In addition, the court is likely to incorporate in its order a slew of other directions which include a double hike in the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) levied on light commercial vehicles and trucks entering Delhi from the existing amount of Rs700 and Rs1,300 to Rs1,400 and Rs2,600 respectively. The ECC will be applicable to such commercial carriers supplying goods other than essential commodities and food. Besides, during the hearing, the Bench modified its earlier order of October 9, 2015 by suggesting that trucks having no business in Delhi or whose registration is of 2005 or before will not be permitted in the city under any circumstances. The Centre will evolve a mechanism to ensure this in consultation with the Delhi Government.
The Bench has proposed curbs on taxi and cab services. During the hearing, the argument was made by senior advocate Harish Salve, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae to ensure a complete ban on diesel cars, both private and commercial.
The Bench, also comprising Justices AK Sikri and R Banumathi felt that taxis registered inside or outside Delhi will have to ply CNG fleet for city permits. The court was keen to extend the ban on diesel vehicle registration to lCVs. Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar who appeared for Centre objected claiming these vehicles were “lifeline” of Delhi.
Private diesel car manufacturers and dealers also protested that the NGT order was too harsh on them considering the fact that a stockpile worth crores of rupees was lying idle. There was a human factor too as thousands of employees attached to them faced a risk of losing jobs. The bench said, “The way we are proceeding, people will stop buying cars. But it’s a sensitive issue. So let us go for luxury cars which are diesel-run and the SUVs.”
The bench clarified that its order will be applicable to luxury cars above 2000cc engine and SUVs going by the logic, “Rich people have no business to pollute environment. They can easily afford petrol…they must make some sacrifice when life of people is at stake.” Diesel manufacturers argued they contributed little to Delhi’s pollution as percentage of diesel cars is only 0.6 million out of 8.5 million cars in Delhi. Salve submitted that pollution by one diesel car is equivalent to seven petrol cars and diesel fleet in the city constitutes over 30 per cent traffic in the city.
The court asked the Delhi Government, the Centre and municipal bodies to ensure no solid waste is burnt in city. The bench enquired whether crop burning in neighbouring Punjab and UP had come down to which there was a positive reply from the Centre. The Haryana Government further informed the SC that since imposition of ECC, roughly 9,000 trucks had stopped entering from Rajokri border on NH-8 which receives maximum inflow of commercial traffic into Delhi.