Appearing on behalf of the Delhi Government, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati urged the court to modify its August 12, 2025 order to allow action against vehicles that comply only with BS-III emission norms. She submitted that such vehicles have poor emission performance and contribute significantly to air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.
Backing the government’s stand, senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in the long-running air pollution matter MC Mehta v. Union of India, pointed out that BS-IV emission standards were introduced in 2010. Vehicles meeting only BS-III norms, she said, predate that period and therefore require regulatory action in view of public health concerns.
While dictating the order, the Bench clarified that its August 12 ruling stands modified to the extent that no coercive steps shall be taken against owners of BS-IV or newer vehicles solely on the ground of age — that is, 10 years for diesel vehicles and 15 years for petrol vehicles. However, the court made it clear that vehicles not meeting BS-IV emission standards would not be entitled to this protection.
The court also recalled that in 2015, the National Green Tribunal had barred the operation of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in the Delhi-NCR region to address worsening air quality. That direction was later upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
As part of subsequent measures, the Delhi Government in 2024 notified the “Guidelines for Handling End-of-Life Vehicles in Public Places of Delhi”, laying down procedures for identifying, removing and disposing of such vehicles.
More recently, the Delhi Government had announced that end-of-life vehicles would be denied fuel at petrol pumps from July 1, 2025. The move, however, was put on hold following public backlash, prompting the government to approach the Supreme Court for a modification of the existing ban, resulting in the August 12 order and the present clarification.