The Centre on Monday moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking a stay of its order banning petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than ten years from plying in Delhi-NCR. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways based its case on a research published by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, which showed that only seven per cent vehicles in the Capital were older than ten years, and as such they cannot be taken as a major source of pollution.
In its plea, the MoRTH said that most countries adopt fitness tests, including emission checks of vehicles as the criteria for curbing pollution and not the age of the vehicle. Additional Solicitor-General Pinky Anand, appearing for the Ministry, told the Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar that while only seven per cent vehicles are over a decade old, the remaining 93 per cent are below ten years.
“Give us your views. We will go through it and pass appropriate orders. We are going to examine the matter,” the Bench said. Quoting from the research papers published by IIT-Delhi, the ASG said that all vehicles older than ten years contribute only a “negligible” amount of pollutants.
Referring to the article written by professors of IIT-Delhi on the subject “Benchmarking vehicle and passenger travel characteristics in Delhi for on-road emissions analysis”, the Centre argued that “aged vehicles” alone cannot be considered the single most important factor for air pollution in Delhi and NCR. The Ministry said that if petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than ten years are banned, those who cannot afford a replacement will suffer.
The Ministry also pointed out that several institutions like hospitals, Municipal Corporations, Postal Departments etc., engage such aged vehicles in large numbers. “It is relevant to mention that under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1998, no specific age limit is prescribed for vehicles. A vehicle reaches ‘End-of-life’ when it cannot be certified as fit to move on the road,” the plea said.
“The Government needs reasonable time of six months to work out and suggest measures for addressing pollution concerns,” the Ministry said. It said the Centre was undertaking several measures to reduce pollution by covering several areas including quality of fuel, adoption of green fuels, fitness of vehicles, quality of engines etc.
The plea mentioned that the Government has already introduced Bharat Stage- IV emission norms for four wheel vehicles since 2010 in Delhi and it is taking necessary steps to switch to better quality of fuel and stricter emission norms to reduce pollution.
The green panel had earlier issued notices to Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories seeking status on prevention of air pollution with regard to vehicular traffic.
Noting that diesel is the prime source of air pollution in Delhi, the tribunal on April 7 had issued a blanket ban on the plying of all diesel vehicles older than ten years. “All vehicles, diesel or petrol, which are more than 15-years-old, shall not be permitted to ply on the roads and wherever such vehicles are noticed, the authorities shall take appropriate steps in accordance with the law...,” the tribunal had said in its November 26, 2014 order.