Kerala: Ban on new diesel cars above 2,000 cc put on hold

The Kerala High Court, on 27 May, put a hold on a ban on new diesel cars above 2,000 cc in Kerala for two months.

This comes days after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 23 May, ruled that diesel cars older than 10 years will have to go off road within 30 days. The tribunal also ordered that car owners will be fined Rs. 5,000 if they violated this rule.

The tribunal court has also ordered the state to not register any diesel vehicle with an engine capacity of 2,000 cc and more, apart from public transport and local authority vehicles.

This came in response to a petition filed by Lawyers' Environmental Awareness Forum (LEAF).

In their petition, the lawyers alleged that Kochi was the most polluted city in Kerala and demanded a ban on the old diesel vehicles including lorries and buses emitting toxic gases.