NGT refuses to vacate order on diesel vehicle registration

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday refused to vacate its order on the registration of diesel vehicles, but said it won't be interfering with the apex court's order on pollution.

"Today, the NGT made it clear that since the Supreme Court has passed a specific order, that is the order which will prevail, and accordingly, adjourned the hearing till after the hearing of the Supreme Court takes place on January 5," advocate Pinki Anand told ANI.

"This was pointed out to the Supreme Court that the new diesel vehicles must not be kept under one category. The luxury vehicles and the normal vehicles must be kept in separate categories. Hearing this, the SC has allowed the registration of vehicles which are below 2000 c.c," she added.

The Supreme Court has issued the order to ban registration of diesel vehicles over 2000 cc in Delhi till March 31, 2016. The court had convened yesterday to hear carmakers' plea against the ban on diesel cars in Delhi and other matters related to the growing air pollution in the nation's capital. Chief Justice of India TS Thakur had said, "People's life is at stake and you are interested in selling cars."

The NGT had said it would first go through the order passed by the Supreme Court and then decide on the plea of car dealers seeking modification of its earlier order banning registration of new diesel vehicles in Delhi.

"The Supreme Court has passed certain directions. We would like to go through the direction and then decide accordingly. We would like to be governed by SC order," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar.