High Court stays NGT order banning more than 10 year old diesel vehicles

Kerala High Court today stayed a National Green Tribunal (NGT) Circuit bench order banning light and heavy diesel vehicles, which are more than 10 years old, in six major cities Kerala, as well as registration of any diesel vehicle in the capacity of 2000 CC.

Issuing the stay order, Justice P B Suresh Kumar said the High Court has jurisdiction to interfere with the NGT orders. The stay will continue till disposal of petitions filed by Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Nippon Toyota and others against the NGT orders.

On May 27, the High Court had partially stayed for two months the order of the NGT Circuit Bench.

Last month, the National Green Tribunal Circuit Bench here had banned light and heavy diesel vehicles,which are more than 10 years old, in six major cities,including state capital Thiruvananthapuram and commercial capital Kochi, in Kerala.

In its first sitting,the Bench,comprising NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar and expert member Bikram Singh Sajwan, had also directed the state government not to register any diesel vehicle in 2000 CC capacity and more, except public transport and local authority vehicles.

“All the diesel vehicles whether light or heavy which are more than 10 years shall not be permitted to ply on the roads in the major cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur,” the Bench had said in its order.

The NGT bench had issued the order while hearing a petition filed by the Lawyers’ Environmental Awareness Forum (LEAF).

The Forum had sought action against highly polluting diesel vehicles such as trucks and buses. It also noted that Kochi and other major cities have earned the reputation of being the most polluted cities.