A Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) affidavit in the Supreme Court said that Bharat Stage IV emission norms for vehicles should be applied in the Capital from April 1, 2015.
However, the affidavit filed on Monday said the emission norms need not be advanced in other parts of the country from its current schedule of April 1, 2017 as it may not be feasible to do so due to logistic constraints like availability of refineries to produce sufficient fuel, its transportation and storage involving conversion from BS (Bharat Stage) III to IV.
The ministry has clubbed states like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana along with Delhi for quicker implementation of the norms.
It said cleaner emission norms would be applied for vehicles in states like Goa, Kerala and Karnataka, Telangana and Odisha and parts of Maharashtra from April 1, next year.
The government made its stand clear in response to Supreme Court notice a plea made by amicus curiae Harish Salve for “urgent second generation” reforms, including advancing Euro IV and levying cess on purchases of private-owned diesel vehicles to check growing air pollution in the national capital.
The apex court had on November 28s ought the response of the MoEF on an application moved by Salve.
Salve had submitted that the situation in Delhi has become worse with growing particulate substances in the city's air which had started causing severe respiratory diseases to the people.
