Supreme Court may modify diesel cars order

The Supreme Court on Monday hinted that it may consider relaxing its order banning registration of new diesel luxury cars and SUVs with an engine capacity of over 2000cc in Delhi and national capital region. “Primarily, we are of the view that diesel vehicles cause more pollution than other vehicles. We may be right, we may be wrong. We are open to modifying it,” a bench comprising Chief Justice T.S. Thakur said.

Even as the Centre put up a brave fight questioning the ban on diesel taxis in the national capital territory, the Supreme Court sought an action plan and a roadmap for conversion of diesel vehicles into CNG-fitted vehicles.

A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justices A.K. Sikri and R. Banumathi made it clear to solicitor-general Ranjit Kumar and senior counsel for car manufacturers that ways and means must be found out for environmental pollution in Delhi.

Earlier, the SG said the court cannot sit over judgment on Centre’s “Make in India” policy, saying the ban on plying of diesel cabs in the capital and registration of new vehicles that are 2000CC would adversely affect various economic policies of the government. The Centre, Delhi government and Nasscom, besides several private car manufacturers, wanted the April 30 deadline for phasing out diesel cabs from the city be extended for a further period of time. The Centre also wanted the ban on registration of new diesel cars.

He said there was no rationale in the apex court imposing the ban on the mere assumption that diesel was a major pollutant of the capital’s air as there were several other factors that contributed for the rot. He said, “The Government of India has come up with a ‘Make in India’ policy, under which we invite people to make India a manufacturing hub. Should the court sit over judgment of policy of the Government of India ”

Annoyed at the solicitor-general’s submission, the CJI asked him, “What have you done so far Your rules are all fine. But you have done nothing to enforce them. What directions have you issued so far to check pollution .” He argued that all the vehicles being manufactured in India were adhering to standards prescribed by the legislature i.e. they were all BS IV compliant. “Diesel is not the devil alone,” he said.

The CJI agreed that “there was more than one devil” contributing to pollution. He said that the court was willing to deal with other issues too, but one could not undermine the contribution of vehicular pollution to the problem. You come with a long term plan that would deal with the problem of pollution, including a phase out of all vehicles within a certain fixed period and imposition of a one-time cess on engine capacity or price.

The court indicated that it would deal on Tuesday only with the problems created by its complete ban on diesel cabs in the NCR. Ola claimed that its entire fleet had converted to CNG and Uber said that it was in the process of completely converting to CNG.