Photo: Flickr.com
India’s Supreme Court has recently announced that some pretty radical measures were taken against pollution by banning new diesel car sales in Delhi, and also doubling a “green-tax” imposed on trucks coming into the city.
All these measures come after Delhi has been experiencing alarming levels of pollution caused by diesel emissions and the burning of crops residue in farms around the city.
The ban will apply on new vehicles that have 2.0-liter engines or bigger, and will be in force until March 31, 2016.
According to a study conducted by the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers, 37 percent of all passenger vehicles sold in India until March 2015 were diesel variants and about 90 percent of the SUVs or other utility vehicles sold last year are also powered by diesel engines, mainly because the NOx-emitting fuel is cheaper than gasoline.
Some of India’s best-selling vehicles, such as Mahindra & Mahindra’s Scorpio, Tata Motors’ Safari and Sumo, Toyota’s Innova, Mitsubishi’s Pajero, and also luxury car manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, will suffer the consequences of this ban.
The court explained its decision by saying that the rich can’t buy luxury diesel-powered cars and SUVs and pollute the air because the rest of the population’s health is being influenced by this.
Beside doubling the “green tax” for trucks that are coming into the city, the court has also banned trucks more than 10 years old from entering Delhi.
Sunita Narain, director of the Center of the Science and Environment, welcomed this decision by stating that the judges recognized the public health emergency, and it is utterly important for the industry to finally get the message as well, according to Financial Times.
Delhi is considered to have some of the most polluted air in the world, as measured by levels of tiny particles that can find their way deep in the lungs and cause lasting health problems. During the Hindu festival of Diwali, air pollution in Delhi reached 40 times the limit recommended by the World Health Association.
The ban will apply on new vehicles that have 2.0-liter engines or bigger, and will be in force until March 31, 2016.
According to a study conducted by the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers, 37 percent of all passenger vehicles sold in India until March 2015 were diesel variants and about 90 percent of the SUVs or other utility vehicles sold last year are also powered by diesel engines, mainly because the NOx-emitting fuel is cheaper than gasoline.
Some of India’s best-selling vehicles, such as Mahindra & Mahindra’s Scorpio, Tata Motors’ Safari and Sumo, Toyota’s Innova, Mitsubishi’s Pajero, and also luxury car manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, will suffer the consequences of this ban.
The court explained its decision by saying that the rich can’t buy luxury diesel-powered cars and SUVs and pollute the air because the rest of the population’s health is being influenced by this.
Beside doubling the “green tax” for trucks that are coming into the city, the court has also banned trucks more than 10 years old from entering Delhi.
Sunita Narain, director of the Center of the Science and Environment, welcomed this decision by stating that the judges recognized the public health emergency, and it is utterly important for the industry to finally get the message as well, according to Financial Times.
Delhi is considered to have some of the most polluted air in the world, as measured by levels of tiny particles that can find their way deep in the lungs and cause lasting health problems. During the Hindu festival of Diwali, air pollution in Delhi reached 40 times the limit recommended by the World Health Association.
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