New diesel-run vehicles will not be registered in Delhi: National Green Tribunal

The green panel also questioned Delhi government's odd-even formula for vehicles to check pollution in the national capital, saying it may not achieve the desired purpose.

"In view of serious contribution of vehicular pollution to air quality of NCT Delhi, it is important that the government should take a serious view and a decision whether any diesel vehicle, old or new, should be registered in Delhi. "As an interim measure and subject to hearing all parties in the case, we direct that diesel vehicles which are more than 10-year old and new diesel vehicles would not be registered in Delhi," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The Tribunal directed Centre and state governments to consider not to buy any diesel vehicles for their departments. Casting doubts over the Delhi government's ambitious plan, the panel said that that the odd-even formula for vehicles may "encourage" people to buy two cars.

On April 7, the green panel had held that all diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old would not be permitted to ply in Delhi-NCR. Noting that diesel was the prime source of air pollution in Delhi, the Tribunal had said the situation was so alarming that people have been even advised to leave Delhi due to adverse effects on health. Earlier, the bench in November last year had banned all vehicles which were more than 15 years old and held that they would not be permitted to ply on the city roads.