HC partially stays NGT order to restrict diesel vehicles in Kerala

The Kerala High Court has partially stayed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order to bring restrictions on diesel vehicles in Kerala. The court put on hold the order to stop the registration of new diesel vehicles above 2000 cc capacity. The partial stay is for two months. 

But the proposed ban on diesel vehicles of the category above 10-years-old still remain. The stay order comes at a stage when the state government is planning to file an appeal before the NGT. 

Following an earlier Supreme Court verdict that banned the sale of diesel cars in the national capital, the NGT Circuit Bench at Kochi ordered last week to restrict registration of diesel vehicles and to phase out diesel vehicles of 2000 cc of more than 10-years-old, from six major cities in the state. The State Government fear that the order would affect the public transport system and the sale of vehicles in the state. 

What the NGT Circuit Bench ordered on 23 May:   
 
- Ban on both light and heavy diesel vehicles of more than 10 years old from plying in major cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur, Calicut and Kannur with effect from 30 days.

- Stop registration of any diesel vehicle with a capacity of 2000 cc and above, except Public Transport and Local Authority Vehicle 

-  A fine of Rs 5,000 per violation

- The NGT also directed the state government to file a reply within two weeks and also to inform the availability of compressed natural gas (CNG).

The government on Friday decided to file the in appeal in the wake of reports that to over 2 Lakh vehicles now plying on the roads will have to be withdrawn in a month. The government plans to highlight that the order will bring the public transport system to a grinding halt thereby affecting the daily life and transportation of essential goods.  

As per an estimate by the Transport Commissionerate, 98,400 light motor vehicles and 41,121 heavy motor vehicles in the state would be affected by the NGT order. 

 The order leaves vehicle owners with only two options, either to abandon the vehicle or to convert it to CNG. Diesel-to-CNG conversion is very costly and Kerala does not have enough CNG refilling stations. Further, it would not be possible to convert all the vehicles within a span of 30 days as stipulated in the order. 

The private bus owners are also mulling to take legal recourse against the NGT order. The order is not likely to affect private automobile sector, but goods vehicles, taxis and public transport are likely to take a hit.  
 

• diesel car ban
• NGT Kochi
• NGT order and KSRTC