The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Delhi government to allow registration of 40 new diesel vehicles to be used for waste disposal.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar granted the relief on the condition that the applicant would scrap 18 heavy diesel vehicles and 20 old loaders and give an undertaking to the tribunal in this regard.
The green panel directed the applicant to scrap the vehicles which are more than 10 years old and asked it to videograph the entire process.
It also directed the petitioner to produce the above documents which would be duly verified by the RTO and subsequently 14 new heavy motor vehicles and 26 new loaders would be registered in accordance with law.
“The new vehicles shall be fitted with GPS system and would be used strictly for the purposes as stated in this application. The purpose for use shall be transportation and removal of municipal solid waste while acting under various local authorities. They shall not be put to any private use,” the bench, also comprising Jawad Rahim, said.
The NGT was hearing a plea filed by Delhi MSW Solutions Limited contending that the green panel had banned the registration of new diesel vehicles as well as re-registration of such vehicles after 10 years.
Later, the Supreme Court had also banned registration of diesel-run SUVs and cars having engine capacity beyond 2000cc in Delhi and National Capital Region.
Due to this, the transport department was not registering the newly procured vehicles, which conform to BS-IV norms, and not re-registering old vehicles, it had said.
( Source – PTI )
