NEW DELHI: In a major setback to owners of diesel vehicles in the city, the National Green Tribunal on Monday directed that diesel vehicles older than 10 years will have to be de-registered with immediate effect. The tribunal had banned the diesel vehicles older than 10 years in its order in April last year.
After the Delhi Police told the green tribunal that its efforts to curb diesel vehicles have not been successful, the NGT directed the RTO to take charge and de-register these vehicles and issued a public notice.
The tribunal had on April 7, 2015 held that all the diesel vehicles more than 10 years old will not be permitted to ply in Delhi-NCR. However, the green court has now pulled up the city authorities for failing to implement its order.
A bench headed by the NGT chairperson, Justice Swatanter Kumar, ordered the RTO of the transport department in Delhi to issue public notice in this regard that after de-registration of these diesel vehicles and supply the list to the Delhi traffic police, which will take appropriate steps in consonance with directions of the tribunal.
According to the green court, its directions have to be implemented with immediate effect. Observing the impact of these vehicles on the air quality in the capital, the NGT said even during the two odd-even schemes initiated by the Delhi government, ambient air quality did not improve and, in fact, the parameters remained higher than the permissible limits.
With the current air pollution in mind, the NGT noted these diesel vehicles must be stopped from plying. The tribunal passed the order after noting submissions of the Delhi police that said it had made continuous attempts to stop diesel vehicles more than 10 years old from plying on the roads of the national capital. “But they have hardly met any success,” the bench noted.
NGT bans pressure horns in capital
Unhindered use of pressure horns has become a source of serious noise pollution, the National Green Tribunal on Monday said while imposing ban on them in all vehicles in the national capital.
“Vehicles using pressure horns and two wheelers which have removed their silencers shall not be permitted to ply on the roads in the national capital,” a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said while issuing notice to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on the issue.
“Pressure horns must come to an end. Noise pollution arising from horns in the vehicles is a major issue. Undue and unhindered use of horns by drivers and pressure horns by trucks is a source of serious noise pollution in Delhi. It is adversely affecting the noise level in Delhi,” the bench said on Monday.
