11 more cities across the country might soon become victims to the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) ban on diesel vehicles with a displacement of 2000 cc or more. The tribunal has ordered the chief secretaries of eight states to submit the details of air pollution in their region failing which they would face arrest. Cities such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru could stand to be affected if the ban would come into effect.
States including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been told to submit the details. The order from the Tribunal comes after the state counsel for Uttar Pradesh said it would require extra time to provide the necessary details. The states have been told to submit the data on details such as total number of vehicles plying, population and pollution levels in the worst effected cities.
The Central government also told the tribunal not to impose a ban on new diesel vehicles citing the fact that it would tend to hurt the growth of the automobile industry. A bench of the tribunal consisting of Chariman Swatanter Kumar would be hearing the plea on the same.
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Currently enforced in the National Capital Region (NCR) since December 2015, the ban does not allow registration of new diesel powered vehicles that have a displacement of more than 2000cc. The ban was recently extended to the state of Kerala before the Kerala High Court put a stay on the ban. The news comes even as the Indian arm of companies such as Mercedes-Benz and Toyota are reconsidering their investment plans in the country.
Source: ET Auto