The court said that as an interim measure for three-four months, it may ban registration of SUVs, high-end cars having engine capacity of over 2000 cc, besides banning entry of commercial vehicles, registered prior to 2005, in Delhi.
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The SC order came in as a measure to reduce the pollution levels in the capital city after the apex court suggested that Delhi has become a “Gas Chamber”.
The Supreme Court has ordered a temporary ban on the sale of large diesel cars in New Delhi and increased a levy on trucks entering the city, as the highly polluted capital seeks ways to tackle one of its worst-ever bouts of toxic smog.
The Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) on commercial vehicles carrying goods into Delhi has been doubled to Rs 1,400 for light commercial vehicles and Rs 2,600 for larger trucks.
The court said that it would “dictate the orders tomorrow (on Wednesday)” as Salve told the court that the question fate of the Badarpur and Rajghat thermal power plant could be taken up in January 2016. It asked the Central Pollution Control Board and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to enforce construction norms strictly to stop builders from polluting the NCR region.
On Delhi government’s odd-even plan for alternately allowing private vehicles to ply, the bench said, “It is for you (Delhi govt) to implement”.
Supreme Court has gone ahead with its observation and has banned registration of new diesel cars and SUVs above 2000cc. The only vehicles in the Mahindra stable that have an engine smaller than 2.0-litre is the Quanto, TUV300, Verito and the Verito Vibe.
The Supreme Court also banned trucks from entering the city if they’re over 10 years old or are just transiting through.
The apex court also observed that diesel make cars are producing 23% more pollution and carcinogens than petrol make cars and hence the court passed a law stating banning all diesel make cars above 2000 CC. The Supreme Court said the NCT Government shall install its own CCTV cameras at nine entry points and also organise surprise visits to oversee the collection of ECC and other necessary arrangements.
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Noting that diesel was the prime source of air pollution in Delhi, the Tribunal had said the situation was so alarming that people have been even advised to leave Delhi due to adverse effects on health.
