Judgement of the National Green Tribunal regarding banning of 10 year old diesel vehicles in Delhi NCR, 14/09/2017

Judgement of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Harvinder Sekhon Vs. Union of India & Others dated 14/09/2017 regarding banning of 10 year old diesel vehicles in Delhi NCR. The sum and substance of the case is that the scientific reports of IIT Kanpur, the DPCC and CRRI Report of 2002 brings to surface the ill-effects of fossil fuel as compared to diesel emission on the ambient air quality. That, the scientific studies done favour proposition that the diesel fuel could be permitted to be used for automobiles and that the Tribunal before reaching conclusion that the vehicles more than 10 years using diesel and vehicles more than 15 years using petrol shall be banned has neither ordered conduct of any fresh scientific study nor it has given credence to the report and data submitted by CRRI in 2002, report of IIT Kanpur, Report of DPCC and other material produced by the Central Government.

NGT while dismissing the case said that what this Tribunal has addressed through its order dated 7th April, 2015 is the issue relating to deterioration of ambient air quality consequent to which innocent life have been lost. It is now well settled that threat to environment is threat to life. NGT was also critical of the role of the Central Government as the government had failed to substantiate before passing of the order dated 7th April, 2015 that use of vehicles of more than 10 years using diesel as fuel will not be detrimental to the health of people and further failed to negate statistical information that the PM level in vehicular emissions consequent to diesel as fuel was scientifically proved to be carcinogenic leading to fatality and undetectable set back in health shortening the life span and render the living being particularly the human being and infant physically infirm and victim of poor health.