EPCA's report on stickers for vehicles: SC seeks replies from Delhi, UP, Haryana & Rajasthan

The Supreme Court Monday sought responses from the governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan on EPCA's report seeking a direction to them to implement by November 1 the apex court's last year order on use of hologram-based, colour coded stickers for vehicles. The top court had on August 13 last year directed that vehicles plying in Delhi-national capital region (NCR) would have the stickers of different colours, indicating the nature of fuel they are using, by September 30, 2018.

It had accepted the proposal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) that hologram-based light blue colour sticker would be used in vehicles using petrol and CNG fuel, while an orange sticker would be put on diesel-run vehicles. The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has recently filed a report in the apex court seeking its directions to these states to implement by November 1 the apex court's last year order.

Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the apex court as an amicus curiae in the pollution matter, told a bench of justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta that colour coded stickers would help during the days when pollution level increase in the Delhi-NCR. "We (EPCA) want a single order that direct these states to implement the August 13, 2018 order by November 1, 2019," Singh told the bench, adding, "The Supreme Court had passed the August 13, 2018 order for vehicles plying in Delhi-NCR because pollution is acute here".

Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni, appearing for the Centre, said they are supporting the EPCA's report. Singh told the bench that radio frequency identity (RFID) tag has been made necessary for commercial vehicles entering Delhi and cost of RFID tag has been fixed at Rs 225.

However, the bench asked about the modalities as to how older vehicles could be given the colour-coded stickers and observed that it would not be feasible to fasten the liability on vehicle manufacturers only. "We may ask the vehicles owners to go to the dealers for this," the bench said, adding, "We cannot issue direction like this without working out the modalities".

The bench asked the four governments concerned to file their response on EPCA's report and posted the matter for hearing on October 21. The counsel appearing for vehicle manufacturers told the bench that they would also file their suggestions on the issue.

In its affidavit filed earlier in the top court, the MoRTH had said that it supported the proposal of the amicus regarding colour-coded stickers which could be used to identify vehicles and restrict those using dirtier fuel during "poor category" pollution days. "In light of the suggestions of the amicus curiae, it is proposed that the colour coding for the third registration plate in the form of 'self destructive type' stickers would be incorporated in the proposed amendment of the 'The Motor Vehicles (New High Security Registration Plates) Order, 2001' and further that the 'date of registration' would also be printed in the sticker," the affidavit had said.

The issue of colour coded stickers for vehicles had cropped up when the apex court was hearing a matter relating to air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)