Amid the deteriorating air quality in the national capital, the Supreme Court on Wednesday modified its earlier order, thus allowing allow Delhi-NCR authorities to take action against end-of-life vehicles
that fall below BS-IV emission standards.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi passed the order at the request of the Delhi Government, which sought action against older cars. The Supreme Court on Wednesday said vehicles with BS-IV engines will be exempted from action.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, who represented the Delhi Government, sought a modification of the order passed on August 12, 2025, to permit action against vehicles up to BS-III. “Older vehicles, their emission standards are very poor, and they are adding to the pollution,” ASG said, according to Livelaw.
Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, the amicus curiae in the air pollution matter, said, “BS-IV came in 2010, and BS-III models are before that.”
The bench, Livelaw reported, dictated that the August 12 order is modified “to the extent that no coercive steps shall be taken against owners of vehicles which are BS-IV and newer on the ground that they are above 10 years old (in case of diesel engines) and 15 years old (in case of petrol engines).”
On August 12, the Supreme Court, acting on a petition from the Delhi government, had ordered that no strict action would be taken against 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles. The court’s clarification came today following a request from the Commission for Air Quality Management or CAQM.
A 15-year-old petrol-run vehicle in India and its 10-year-old diesel counterpart are likely have a BS-III (Bharat Stage 3) engine.
What was the August 12 order?
The Supreme Court had on August 12 said that no coercive action will be taken against owners of 10-year-old diesel vehicles and 15-year-old petrol vehicles in Delhi and NCR. A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria issued the order after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi government, requested relief for vehicle owners.
“Issue notice, returnable in four weeks. In the meantime, we direct that no coercive steps be taken against the owners on the ground that vehicles are 10 years old in respect of diesel vehicles and 15 years old in respect of petrol vehicles,” the bench stated.
Consider temporary suspension of toll collection at nine toll plazas: SC to MCD
In wake of the continuing poor air quality in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to consider temporary suspension of toll collection at nine toll plazas in the national capital’s entry points.
The bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi passed the order after it was informed that vehicles were being stuck for hours on the borders which was contributing to air pollution.
“MCD is directed to cooperate on the issue and to consider suspending operations at these nine toll plazas for a temporary period. A decision in this regard shall be taken within one week and placed on record,” the Court ordered.
The Court also asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to examine the possibility of shifting the nine toll collection booths operated by the MCD in Delhi to locations that can be manned by the NHAI.
“A portion of the toll collected at such sites can then be diverted to the MCD to compensate for the perceived loss arising from the temporary suspension,” it suggested.
The directions were passed on an application moved by the NHAI alleging congestion at the borders due to the toll collection by MCD.
