New Delhi, Nov 19 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that the pollution caused by vehicles cannot be assessed solely based on their age, and that the distance they have travelled must also be taken into account while framing regulatory measures for Delhi-NCR.
Hearing matters relating to Delhi-NCR air pollution in the MC Mehta case, a bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran noted that some vehicles may clock over 30,000 km in a year, while others, such as official court vehicles, may not even cross 15,000 km in five years.
“The age of a vehicle has nothing to do with the emission of pollution. The contribution depends on how much it has been used,” the CJI remarked, referring to an article he had read a day earlier.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the union Government, drew the Court’s attention to its earlier order restraining coercive action against diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in the NCR.
She said that while BS-IV vehicles are exempted from GRAP restrictions, a similar exemption should be considered for BS-III vehicles, which would already be 15 years old.
In its order, the Court permitted the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to take appropriate measures to reduce air pollution after consulting concerned stakeholders.
It also issued several directions, including, all NCR States must take instructions and place on record their position on subsistence allowance before the next hearing.
Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh assisted the Court as amicus curiae.
The matter will now be listed monthly to review CAQM’s action-taken reports.
On CAQM’s proposal to shift prohibitions under GRAP III to GRAP II, the bench said that any restrictive action aimed at reducing pollution would be welcomed, but emphasised that all stakeholders must be consulted before implementation.
