The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday directed that no coercive action should be taken against owners of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi. The directive was issued by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, and Justices Vinod K Chandran and NV Anjaria.
The court also issued a notice in response to a petition filed by the Delhi government challenging the ban on older diesel and petrol vehicles in the capital.
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“In the meantime no coercive steps should be taken against the owners of the car on the ground that they are 10 years old in respect to diesel vehicles and 15 years old with respect to petrol vehicles. List it after 4 weeks,” CJI Gavai was quoted as saying by Bar and Bench.
In July, the Delhi government, led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, introduced a “no fuel for old vehicles” policy, aiming to curb pollution by restricting refuelling of older vehicles. However, the policy faced immediate public backlash and was paused within two days of its announcement. The government cited logistical challenges and inadequate infrastructure for effective enforcement.
Subsequently, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued a directive mandating a refuelling ban on end-of-life vehicles across Delhi-NCR starting November 1.
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This directive was challenged by the Delhi government in the Supreme Court, arguing that the restrictions lacked scientific justification. The government also sought a review of the Supreme Court’s 2018 order, which upheld a 2015 National Green Tribunal directive banning 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles in the region to address rising pollution levels.