The Supreme Court of India has granted temporary relief to owners of older vehicles in Delhi-NCR by ordering that no punitive action will be taken against diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 years old for the next four weeks. This decision was announced by a bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai, along with Justices Vinod K Chandran and NV Anjaria.

The court’s interim order means that owners of such vehicles can continue using them without penalty during this period while the court seeks responses from the concerned parties. The matter will be reexamined after four weeks to decide the future course of action.

During the hearing, the court raised important questions about the basis for classifying vehicles as obsolete merely by their age, observing that many vintage cars still operate and that vehicles’ condition and pollution levels may differ significantly across individual cases.

The court also noted that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has not conducted any studies on pollution caused by diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years. This lack of research data was highlighted in response to an RTI filed by environmentalist Amit Gupta, which was brought to the court’s attention.

Earlier, the Delhi government had proposed strict punitive measures against older vehicles but will now have to pause enforcement in light of the Supreme Court’s order.

For now, owners of such aged vehicles in the national capital can breathe easier, at least for the next month, as the court deliberates further on the issue. The final decision after the upcoming hearings will determine whether the restrictions will be reinstated or altered based on deeper consideration of vehicle conditions and pollution data.