Kerala High Court stays NGT order on diesel vehicles partially

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court today stayed for two months the order of the National Green Tribunal Circuit Bench directing the state government not to register any diesel vehicle with capacity of 2000 CC and more, except public transport and local authority vehicles.

The Court, however, did not interfere with the other part of the NGT Circuit Bench judgement banning light and heavy diesel vehicles, which are more than 10 years old, in six major cities, including Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.

The stay order was issued by Justice P B Suresh Kumar while hearing a petition filed by Nippon Toyota pointing out that there were illegalities in the NGT order and it was passed without hearing the manufacturers of diesel vehicles.

Early this week, the NGT bench had issued the order against diesel vehicles while hearing a petition filed by Lawyers' Environmental Awareness Forum. In its petition, the Forum had sought action against highly polluting diesel vehicles such as trucks and buses.

It had also noted that Kochi and other major cities have earned the reputation of being the most polluted cities.