New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice on a petition challenging the city government’s notification restricting the entry of vehicles registered outside the national capital that do not comply with BS-VI emission standards from November 1, but declined to grant any interim stay on its implementation.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma issued notice on the plea and directed that it be tagged with another pending matter.
The High Court listed the matter for further hearing on November 27.
The petition challenges the city government’s decision to prohibit non-BS-VI compliant vehicles registered outside Delhi from entering the national capital during the winter pollution-control period, contending that the restriction is arbitrary and discriminatory.
Seeking interim relief, the petitioner argued that vehicles registered in Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards would continue to be permitted to ply in the capital, while similarly placed vehicles registered in neighbouring states would be barred from entering the city.
It contended that such differential treatment violates Article 14 of the Constitution, as the classification is based on the place of registration rather than the emission characteristics of the vehicles. The plea argued that vehicles with identical emission standards cannot be subjected to different treatment merely because they are registered in different states.
The restriction, which came into effect on November 1, will remain in force until January 31, 2027, as part of the Delhi government’s measures to tackle rising pollution levels during the winter season.
Under the restrictions, vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not comply with BS-VI emission norms will not be permitted to enter the national capital. However, BS-VI compliant vehicles, along with those powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electricity, have been exempted. Ambulances, fire tenders and certain vehicles engaged in specified essential services have also been kept outside the ambit of the restrictions.
According to estimates from the Transport Department, more than 10 lakh vehicles across Delhi-NCR, including Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad, do not meet BS-VI emission standards. The proposed restrictions are expected to affect a significant number of commuters travelling to Delhi from neighbouring cities for work, business and other purposes. Authorities are also strengthening enforcement at the capital’s entry points, with plans to deploy Artificial Intelligence-powered Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to identify potentially non-compliant vehicles and facilitate verification.
The technology-based monitoring system is expected to help flag vehicles approaching Delhi from neighbouring areas, particularly along routes connecting the capital with Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad.
(IANS)
