NGT to extend diesel ban, Centre appeals against ruling

The National Green Tribunal is currently considering an extension of the diesel ban in India. However, the the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has appealed against the ban by the NGT.

In December 2015, the Supreme Court had banned the registrations of diesel vehicles with engine capacity of and above 2000cc in the Delhi NCR after the the data of alarming levels of pollution was revealed in the region. The ruling had a deadline of March 31, 2016 for its first hearing but has been extended thrice. The NGT is now considering to extend the ban to 11 more cities across the country. The the ruling could include major metropolis cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jalandhar and Patna. However, the exact cities are not yet confirmed.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has appealed to the NGT on behalf of the central government to not extend the ban. Following the latest hearing, the NGT has requested various states to to provide details on the most polluted cities, number of vehicles in the cities and a split between number of petrol and diesel cars currently plying in the area. The state governments have been given a deadline to submit the data to the NGT by May 31, 2016. Failing to deliver the data, the NGT has reportedly been stated to issue a bailable warrant against the chief secretaries of the states.

Many automotive manufacturers including the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers (SIAM) have repeatedly spoken against the ban claiming that the automotive industry is a major contributor to the Indian Economy and GDP.  The ‘Make in India’ campaign, had brought major new foreign investment into the country. But such rulings make the investments insecure and is a violation of the fundamental right to do business in the country.

The central government has proposed the NGT to reconsider and instead ban all old vehicles irrespective of petrol or diesel, after 15 years of the vehicles life.

Also Read: NGT bans over 10 year old diesel vehicles in Kerela