Supreme Court stays coercive action against owners of older petrol and diesel vehicles in Delhi-NCR – India Legal

In a big interim ruling, the Supreme Courtroom of India has granted short-term aid to house owners of older autos within the Delhi Nationwide Capital Area (NCR). The bench, led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and comprising Justice Ok. Vinod Chandran and Justice NV Anjaria, ordered that no coercive steps—comparable to impounding or penalisation—ought to be taken towards house owners of diesel autos over 10 years outdated and petrol autos over 15 years outdated.

The directive stays in drive till the matter is additional heard, with discover issued to the Delhi authorities, the Union, and the Fee for Air High quality Administration (CAQM). The court docket’s resolution arises from a evaluate petition filed by the Delhi authorities, which challenges the 2018 Supreme Courtroom order that upheld a ban on older autos in Delhi-NCR, initially directed by the Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal (NGT).

Solicitor Basic Tushar Mehta, arguing on behalf of Delhi, contended that the age-based restriction is bigoted—particularly since older business autos typically cowl much more floor than private ones and put on out sooner.

Additional, the petition urges the court docket to permit extra scientific, emissions-based standards—like Air pollution Beneath Management (PUC) measurements—to dictate automobile health, reasonably than relying solely on arbitrary age limits. The Delhi authorities cited advances in Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) norms, wider PUC protection, and evolving expertise, implying that many older but well-maintained autos should still be roadworthy and environmentally compliant.

The interim keep serves as a judicial stability between safeguarding residents’ rights and addressing environmental issues. It protects middle- and lower-income automobile customers who depend on older automobiles, whereas the court docket evaluates whether or not blanket bans stay justified in mild of technological and regulatory developments

The Supreme Courtroom has scheduled the matter to be re-examined in 4 weeks. In the meantime, stakeholders await additional readability on whether or not environmental policymaking will shift towards graded, evidence-based regulation, aligning with constitutional protections like the precise to livelihood and mobility.