SUPREME CHOKE TO POLLUTION

SC holds ‘health more important’, bans all Bharat Stage-III vehicles Move has been celebrated by greens who had called for a meeting with the auto industry in October 2016

Plugging loopholes in the Centre’s decision to switch over to BS-IV emission norms for vehicles in the country, the Supreme Court on Wednesday banned the sale and registration of BS-III (Bharat Stage-III) compliant vehicles from April 1.

“We direct that on and from April 1, 2017, such vehicles that are not BSIV compliant shall not be sold in India by any manufacturer or dealer, that is to say that such vehicle, whether twowheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers or commercial vehicles will not be sold in India by any manufacturer or dealer on and from April 1, 2017,” the Supreme Court bench said.

Observing that health of the people is “far, far more important” than the commercial interests of the manufacturers, the SC observed that automobile firms have declined to take “sufficient proactive steps” despite being fully aware that they

would be required to manufacture only BSIV compliant vehicles from April 1, 2017.

Citing an inventory pile-up in its dealer and distributor pipeline, many others in the auto industry had asked for

an extension of the deadline on sales of already manufactured BS III vehicles — while assuring that production of said vehicles would end by March 31 2017. The court refused to provide this caveat

and has now asked them to honour the letter of the law and carry out a complete transition – which of course also means stopping the sale and registration of such cars, bikes, threewheelers and trucks.

The ban on BS-III vehicles is on the manufacture and sale of new vehicles — and in no way affects vehicles that have been already purchased and are currently in use. Vehicles booked and invoiced before March 31, and not as yet delivered to buyers too exempted. Car and bike owners are also free to sell their existing BS-III vehicles in the second-hand market.WHAT IT MEANS WHO WILL GET BS-III VEHICLES SOME RELIEF