No new diesel SUVs to be registered in Delhi till 31 March, directs SC

Close on the heels of the AAP government announcing restrictions on cars in Delhi based on registration numbers, the Supreme Court on Wednesday has stepped in to curb high pollution levels in the national capital. In a series of significant orders with aim to tackle air pollution, the court banned the entry of trucks which are more than ten years old in Delhi. The apex court has also put restriction on the passage of commercial vehicles through Delhi if their destination is not the capital. Such vehicles will not be allowed to enter Delhi through the entry points of NH-8 and NH-1, IBNlive reported . In addition, it has placed a three-month ban on diesel cars which have more than a 2,000 cc capacity. This includes SUV’s and other private vehicles, according to the IBNlive report. [caption id=“attachment_2547522” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Image courtesy: PTI[/caption] Further, the Supreme Court has also directed all taxis in Delhi to be converted to CNG and has doubled the pollution surcharge on vehicles, ANI reported. A 100 percent increase in the surcharge would now mean that light commercial vehicles with two axles will have to pay Rs.1,400 for entering Delhi and commercial vehicles with three and four axles will have to pay Rs.2,600 for each trip for entering Delhi. Interestingly, the Supreme Court, way back in 2001, had directed all public transport buses to be converted to CNG to reduce air pollution. The Supreme Court’s wide-ranging directions come shortly after it voiced  its concern in strong words about rising pollution, saying that rich people can’t go around in SUV’s polluting the environment, a report in The Huffington Post  said. Recently, the court had backed the Kejriwal government’s odd-even policy on private cars, as reported by IBNlive. Days before the Delhi government’s order, the Delhi High Court had remarked that living in the city was akin to living in a gas chamber, and asked the Centre and the state government to take comprehensive steps to tackle the issue. An assessment of air pollution by the Central Pollution Control Board found that air in Delhi was below the desired quality standards on 93% of the days, according to a report in The Times of India . With the Supreme Court’s latest directives, the judiciary appears to have taken a firm stand on reducing air pollution in the city, notorious for being the most polluted city in the world. With inputs from IANS