2020 INSC 0566
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 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION       
WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 13029 OF 1985
M.C. Mehta           .…  Petitioner(s)
Versus
Union of India                   …. Respondent(s)
With CA.No.8187/2019 & CA.Nos.3610­11/2019
       
O R D E R
         C.A.Nos.3610­11/2019­New Delhi Municipal Council
1. In   this   appeal,   the   appellant   New   Delhi   Municipal
Council   is   assailing   the   order   dated   18.12.2018   in
OA.No.1047/2018   and   the   order   dated   18.01.2019   passed
on Review Application No.12/2019 in OA.No.1047/2018 by
which   the   application   filed   by   the   appellant   seeking
direction   to   the   Transport   Authority   to   register   the   water
tanker/trucks   for   essential   services   was   rejected.     In   the
pending appeal an application in I.A.No.61047/2020 is also
filed   by   the   appellant   seeking   that   the   Transport
Department of GNCTD be directed to register 20 number ofWP (C) No.13029/1985

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BS­IV Compliant  Diesel  driven water   tankers  purchased  by
the appellant.
          C.A.No.8187/2019 ­ Delhi Cantonment Board
2. This   appeal   is   filed   by   the   Delhi   Cantonment   Board
assailing the order dated 22.07.2019 passed by the NGT in
M.A.No.160/2019,   MA.No.167/2019   and   MA.No.171/2019
in   OA.No.21/2014   dismissing   the   application   filed   by   the
appellant   seeking   to   direct   the   Transport   Department   to
register the water tankers purchased by the appellant which
are   BS­IV   Compliant   diesel   vehicles   purchased   on
31.10.2018.
I.A.No.101010/2020 in WP (C) No.13029/1985  
3. This   application   is   filed   by   the   applicant   Narbada
Travels   seeking   directions   to   the   GNCTD   to   register   two
TATA   LP   vehicles   purchased   by   the   applicant   prior   to
31.03.2020 and are BS­IV compliant.
I.A.No.101018 in WP (C) No.13029/1985  
4. This   application   is   filed   by   the   applicant   Mrs.
Meenakshi Virmani seeking to direct GNCTD to register theWP (C) No.13029/1985

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TATA   LPO,   1613   Bus   purchased   by   the   applicant   prior   to
31.03.2020 and is BS­IV compliant.
5. The   above   appeals   and   applications   seeking   such
direction   for   registration   of   the   vehicles   are   filed   in   view   of
the   restrictions   stipulated   in   the   Petition   bearing   WP(C)
No.13029/1985 titled   M.C. Mehta vs. Union of India and
Ors .     However,   as   and   when   the   need   for   registration   of
vehicle   arose,   applications   were   filed   before   this   Court.
Since   applications   seeking   registration   of   three   types   of
vehicles   (a)   CNG   vehicles   (b)   BS­IV   compliant   vehicles   and
(c)   BS­VI   Compliant   vehicles,     being   used   for   essential
public   utility   services   were   made,   this   Court   by   the   order
dated   18.09.2020   directed   the   Environment   Pollution
Control   Authority   (EPCA)   to   scrutinize   the   pending   cases
and   submit   a   report   to   this   Court   so   that  a  common   order
could be passed.
6. In view of such direction the EPCA has filed its detailed
report   No.116   dated   28.09.2020.     In   the   said   report   the
EPCA   has   referred   to   the   pending   applications   inter   alia
relating   to   the   appellants   herein   namely,   New   DelhiWP (C) No.13029/1985

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Municipal   Council   (CA.No.3610­11/2019   and
IA.No.61047/2020)   and   Delhi   Cantonment   Board   (C.A.No.
8187/2020).   While   taking   note   of   the   applications,   the
EPCA   has   referred   to   the   details   of   the   vehicles,   fuel   type,
date   of   purchase,   the   details   relating   to   the   uploading   in
VAHAN   Portal   for   temporary   registration/reasons   for   not
uploading and as to whether or not the CNG/petrol variant
of   such   vehicles   was   available   at   the   time   of   purchase.
Keeping  in   view  the   said   details   and   also  on   taking   note   of
the   various   orders   passed   by   the   NGT   and   this   Court   the
EPCA   has   made   its   recommendations,   which   read   as
hereunder:
“Based   on   these   fasts,   EPCA   would   recommend
the   following   directions,   which   the   Hon’ble
Supreme Court may consider:
1.   BS­IV   CNG   vehicles   may   be   registered,   but
only   if   they   have   been   uploaded   in   the   VAHAN
database   prior   to   31.03.2020   and   have   got
temporary registration.
2.   BS­IV   diesel   light   and   heavy­duty   vehicles
used   for   public   utility   and   essential   services ,
where  CNG­petrol   variants  are  not   available  and
which   had   pending   applications   before   the
Hon’ble   Supreme   Court   may   be   registered   as
detailed in the list A above and summary below.WP (C) No.13029/1985

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  BS­IV diesel light­heavy duty vehicles to be allowed registration
Public agency Vehicles required for No.
1 New Delhi Municipal Council Water tankers 20
2 North Delhi Municipal Corporation Water tankers/jetting machines 30
3. Delhi Police Travel of police outstation 1
4. Delhi Cantonment Board Water tankers 2
5 I&FC Department/Delhi Govt Ambulance 1
3. BS­III non­road category of vehicles (as per the
current   applicable   emission   norm   as   notified   by
MoRTH),   registered   under   the   category   of   CEV­
TREM may be permitted to be registered.
4.   BS­VI   diesel   light   and   heavy­duty   vehicles
used   for   public   utility   and   essential   services
may be permitted to be registered.”
7. Considering the above recommendations and on taking
note   of   the   fact   that   the   water   tankers   are   used   for   the
public  utility   and  essential  services  the   prayer  made  in  the
appeals   bearing   C.A.No.3610­11/2019,   C.A.   No.8187/2019
and the application bearing  IA.No.61047/2020 are liable to
be allowed.
IA.No.101010/2020   and   101008/2020   in   WP(C)
No.13029/1985:
8. As noted above the details of the purchase made by the
applicants   in   these   applications   was   not   a   part   of   the
consideration   made   by   the   EPCA   and   as   such   is   not
contained   in   the   report.     However,   the   yardstick   asWP (C) No.13029/1985

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applicable to all other cases will have to be made applicable
herein.     In   that   view   a   perusal   of   the   details   indicated   in
IA.No.101010/2020   would   disclose   that   the   two   vehicles
were purchased on 07.03.2020 and 11.03.2020 respectively.
In   respect   of   the   two   vehicles   namely   TATA   LP909/49WB
and TATA LPO 1613, the date of temporary registration and
the   display   on   the   e.Vahan   portal   is   11.03.2020     and
13.03.2020 respectively.  
9. In IA.No.101018/2020 the vehicle TATA LPO 1613 was
purchased   on   11.03.2020   and   the   temporary   registration
was on the same date.  It is shown in the e.Vahan portal on
13.03.2020.     That   apart   the   vehicles   involved   in   these   two
applications   are   CNG   variant   and   BS­IV   Compliant.     This
Court   in   the   order   dated   18.09.2020   had   observed   that
insofar  as CNG vehicles are concerned there cannot be any
valid   objection   for   the   registration   of   the   vehicles   as   the
emission   from   these   vehicles   is   within   the   limits   and   had
directed   the   vehicles   to   be   registered.     Hence   both   these
applications are liable to be allowed.
I.A.No.108186 OF 2020        i   n WP(C) No.13029/1985
Indian Oil Skytanking Pvt. Ltd.WP (C) No.13029/1985

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10. The   applicant   M/s   Indian   Oil   Skytanking   Private   Ltd.
has   filed   the   instant   application   seeking   direction   to   the
Transport   Authority   (Govt   of   NCT   of   Delhi)   to   register   3
(Three)   BS­IV   Hydrant   Dispensers   to   be   used   for   the
purpose   of   delivering   Aviation   Turbine   Fuel   to   the   aircraft
tanks   at   Indira   Gandhi   International   Airport,   New   Delhi.
The details of vehicles are as hereinbelow;
S.No
.   Description   of
Vehicles Engine No.        Chassis No.
1. Goods Carrier/Truck SLT4GT244880 MBUZT54XGT0251339
2. Goods Carrier/Truck SLT4GT244556 MBUZT54XGT0251052
3 Goods Carrier/Truck SLT4GT244772 MBUZT54XGT0251314
11.    The applicant, a Joint Venture Company promoted by
M/s   Indian   Oil   Corporation   Ltd.   and   M/s   Skytanking
Holding   GmbH,   Germany   is   engaged   in   the   business   of
handling   Jet   Fuel   for   Airlines   on   behalf   of   the   suppliers,
Operations   and   Maintenance   of   Fuel   Farm   and   into   Plane
services for all national and international airlines operating
in   Delhi,   Mumbai   and   Bangalore   Airports.     To   engage
themselves   in   the   said   business   the   applicant   has
purchased   three   goods   carriers/trucks   on   30.08.2018   andWP (C) No.13029/1985

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have   obtained   temporary   registration   certificates   on
30.08.2018.     The   applicant   contends   that   the   National
Green   Tribunal   had   directed   conversion   of   buses,   coaches
and   other   vehicles   plying   at   the   airport   to   CNG   fuel   within
six   months   from   the   order   dated   24.11.2017.     This   Court
while   modifying   the   said   order   of   NGT   through   its   order
dated   06.08.2018   had   removed   the   words   “other   vehicles”.
In   so   far   as   the   vehicles   purchased   by   the   applicant,   it   is
pointed   out   that   since   they   are   designed   to   carry   highly
inflammable   product,   CNG   and   petrol   fuelled   engines
cannot be used as per the norms of Government.   The said
Hydrant   Dispensers   are   heavy   duty   vehicles   and   are   diesel
powered engines so that they can generate sufficient torque
for   the   vehicles   to   supply   required   power   for   its   multiple
functions.  It is also stated that the sophisticated and costly
equipments   are   mounted   on   BS   IV   compliant   ICV   of   SML
ISUZU   Limited.     In   that   light   the   applicant   is   seeking
registration of the vehicles. 
  12.       Having taken note of the averments contained in the
application,   it   is   also   to   be   noted   that   as   indicated   aboveWP (C) No.13029/1985

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this Court had through its order dated 18.09.2020 directed
the   Environment   Pollution   Control   Authority   (EPCA)   to
submit   a   report   after   scrutinizing   the   pending   cases.
Though   the   said   report   related   to   the   vehicles   purchased
and   awaiting   registration   in   respect   of   certain   other   public
utility   services,   the   consideration   made   therein   would   be
relevant   in   this   case.     In   that   regard,   as   noted   the   EPCA,
inter   alia   has   recommended   that   BS­IV   diesel,   light   and
heavy­duty   vehicles   used   for   public   utility   and   essential
services,   where   CNG   petrol   variant   are   not   available   and
which   had   pending   application   before   the   Supreme   Court
may be registered.  As noted, though the instant application
was   not   pending   at   that   stage,   the   nature   of   activity   of   the
applicant   is   for   public   utility   and   essential   services.
Peculiar   to   its   nature   of   activity,   no   other   vehicle   can   be
used,   and   the   vehicle   had   been   purchased   on   30.08.2018,
much prior to the cut­off date.  The fact that the vehicles are
used   for   carrying   inflammable   product,   in   which
circumstance   a   diesel   vehicle   is   to   be   used   cannot   be   lost
sight of.  These vehicles are also BS­IV compliant which wasWP (C) No.13029/1985

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the norm as on the date of purchase.   Hence, an exception
is required to be made. 
        13.     In view of the above: 
(1)   CA.No.3610­11/2019   and   IA.No.61047/2020   are
allowed.     The   Transport   Department   GNCTD   is
directed   to   register   20   numbers   of   BS­IV   Compliant
water   tankers,   the   details   of   which   is   referred   to   in
the report dated 28.09.2020 of EPCA
  (2)   C.A.No.8187/2019   is   allowed.     The   GNCTD   is
directed   to   register   two   water   tanker   vehicles,   the
details of which is indicated in the report of EPCA.
(3)   IA.No.101010   /2020   is   allowed.   The   GNCTD   is
directed   to   register   two   vehicles   detailed   in   the
application.
(4)   IA.No.101018/2020   is   allowed.     The   GNCTD   is
directed   to   register   the   vehicle   detailed   in   the
application.
(5)     I.A.No.108186/2020   is   allowed.     The   GNCTD   is
directed   to   register   3   Diesel   BS­IV   CommercialWP (C) No.13029/1985

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Vehicles   of   SML   ISUZU   make   detailed   in   the
application.
(6)   No costs.
..………… ....................CJI.
      (S. A. Bobde)
… ..…………....................J.
(A. S. Bopanna)
..…..………......................J
      (V. Ramasubramanian)
NOVEMBER 02 , 2020
NEW DELHIWP (C) No.13029/1985