New Delhi, Nov 30: The National Green Tribunal on Monday sought response from the central government and the German automobile firm Volkswagen on a plea seeking a ban on manufacture and sale of its vehicles in the country for allegedly flouting emission norms.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notice to the Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Central Pollution Control Board and Volkswagen group, asking them to reply by December 23.
The directions came while hearing a plea by Saloni Ailawadi, a Delhi based school teacher, who had sought directions to disallow “manufacturing, assembly and sale” of vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen and its group companies until it is established that they are as per the prescribed norms in India.
Earlier, the government had issued notice to Volkswagen after ARAI found “significant variations” in on-road emission levels in the diesel models of Jetta, Octavia, Audi A4 and Audi A6 in India.
Volkswagen has admitted that 11 million diesel engine cars worldwide were fitted with the software that helped in manipulating emission tests.
