Stakeholders take on BS-IV deadline sought

The National Green Tribunal, hearing a plea opposing a call given by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) to postpone deadline (April 1) for compliance with BS-IV emission standards, has sought responses from stakeholders.

A bench comprising NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, Justice Raghvendra S Rathore and expert member Ajay Deshpande, on Wednesday issued notices to the respondents including ministry of road transport and highways, environment ministry, SIAM and Central pollution control board.

The plea was filed by RK Sharma, who said he was upset with SIAM’s conduct. SIAM had allegedly called to defer the deadline for enforcement of new emission norms and had sought extension of time for selling existing stock of BS-III compliant vehicles.

Sharma’s plea requested that sale or registration of all vehicles, new and old, should not be allowed after the deadline unless they are BS-IV emission standards compliant.

“Some vehicle manufacturers are lobbying for a relaxation in the deadline for BS-IV norms for flooding the market with their old BS-III vehicles, citing alleged unsold inventory. Thus, the vehicle manufacturers seek to sell and register non-BS-IV vehicles even after April 1, 2017,” said the plea.

The debate over the compliance date, and emission standards, has been going on since August 2015, when the govern- ment had said that the BS-IV emission norms will come into effect from April 2017.

The BS-IV emission standards are expected to reduce harmful vehicular emissions by almost 80% and is expected to reduce air pollution in the country.

However, SIAM has categorised the plea as misleading, and claimed that the government’s notification does not bar sale or registration, but manufacturing of non-BS-IV compliant vehicles from April 1 this year.

The tribunal will hear the matter again on March 23, after the stakeholders have filed their replies.

(WITH INPUTS FROM PTI)

EVER SINCE GOVT HAD DECLARED APRIL 1, 2017 AS DEADLINE FOR BSIV COMPLIANCE, THE DATE WAS DEBATED OVER