The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has recently brought the diesel ban in the Kerala region and is thinking about imposing the same in 11 other cities of the country. Emphasizing more concern over the rising pollution level, the ban is currently practiced in the Delhi region. It is likely to see its extension to cities like Kolkata, Bengaluru, Jalandhar, Hyderabad, Patna and Mumbai.
The NGT has presented the data of some cities which may get affected due to the running of 2000cc diesel vehicles. The major states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Punjab, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have been urged to submit the data of number of registered vehicles by May 31, 2016. The action shall be taken on looking the stats.
A Toyota Kirloskar Motor spokesperson stated that, “If diesel is being termed as polluting, then it is unfair to single out diesel vehicles with engine capacity of over 2,000 cc. All our vehicles meet all the regulations prevalent in the country. The move by NGT could have severe implications on our operations. Such decisions make it difficult for us to strategize and it also renders the investments made by our parent company Toyota Motor Corporation, insecure.”
Toyota has been into big trouble due to the diesel ban as it is unable to sell its diesel powered SUV in the Delhi region, which is said to be its largest consumer base in the country. The newly launched models such as Toyota Fortuner and Innova Crysta have been banned for sale in the region.
In Kerala, NGT has also banned the diesel vehicles that are 10 years older and prohibited the registration of new 2000cc diesel vehicles in the state. However, the Kerala Govt. has stayed the order on registration of new 2000cc diesel vehicles for 2 months.
Moreover, the central Govt is not in favour of extending the diesel ban to other cities that are less prone to pollution. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has also been opposing the regulation and fears that this may discourage the automotive giants to invest in the country.
Also Read: Toyota Not Willing To Launch New Diesel Model in India
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Source: AutoCarIndia