2017 JTR(SC) 290
2017 AIR(SC) 2430 ; 2017 4 ALD(SC) 187 ; 2017 2 ApexCJ(SC) 505 ; 2017 2 AWC 1986 ; 2017 2 CivLJ 578 ; 2017 1 CriR(SC) 369 ; 2017 7 FLT 367 ; 2017 2 HLT 5 ; 2017 2 JCR(SC) 222 ; 2017 3 LJR 104 ; 2017 2 RCR(Civ) 686 ; 2017 4 Scale 113 ; 2017 7 SCC 243 ; 2017 3 Supreme 224
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
MADAN B. LOKUR, DEEPAK GUPTA, JJ.
M.C.MEHTA – PETITIONERS
VERSUS
UNION OF INDIA & ORS. – RESPONDENTS
I.A. No. 487, 489, 491, 494 & 495 of 2017 of 2017 in Writ Petition (Civil) No.13029 of 1985
Decided On : 29-03-2017
IMPORTANT POINT
Sale and registration of vehicles not complying with BS-IV prohibited from 1st April, 2017.
Act Referred :MOTOR VEHICLES ACT : .
(A) The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, read in conjunction with the Bharat Stage emission standards framework, governs the manufacture, sale, and registration of motor vehicles in India. The provisions operate to prohibit the sale and registration of vehicles that do not conform to the emission norms mandated for the relevant period, here the Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) standards effective from 1st April, 2017. The Act provides the regulatory mechanism through which the state exercises control over vehicular pollution, and the standards notified thereunder are binding on manufacturers and dealers alike, particularly where public health and environmental protection are concerned.
(B) The core legal principles established are that compliance with emission standards is mandatory from the date of enforcement, commercial interests of manufacturers and dealers do not supersede public health concerns, and the state has the authority to prohibit the sale and registration of non-compliant vehicles to mitigate air pollution.
Facts of the case:
Manufacturers and dealers held stock of vehicles that complied with the Bharat Stage-III (BS-III) emission standards but did not meet the BS-IV standards. The manufacturers argued that they were entitled to sell and register this existing stock from 1st April, 2017, claiming they had ceased manufacturing non-compliant vehicles. Conversely, the Amicus Curiae and the public interest contended that allowing the sale and registration of these vehicles would exacerbate air pollution and pose a significant health hazard, given that requisite fuel quality for BS-IV vehicles was available nationwide from the specified date.
Findings of Court:
The Court accepted the submission of the Amicus Curiae, determining that the health and well-being of the populace outweigh the commercial interests of the manufacturers. It found that the manufacturers were aware of the impending transition to BS-IV standards well in advance and were under an obligation to phase out non-compliant vehicles proactively. The Court held that permitting the sale of non-compliant vehicles would be unjustified and detrimental to public health.
Issues:
Whether vehicles that meet BS-III but not BS-IV emission standards can be legally sold and registered on or after 1st April, 2017, in light of the mandatory emission norms and the availability of requisite fuel quality.
Ratio Decidendi:
The paramountcy of public health and environmental protection over commercial considerations necessitates a prohibition on the sale and registration of vehicles that fail to comply with the mandated emission standards from the effective date, irrespective of the existence of prior stock.
Result:
A blanket prohibition on the sale and registration of all non-BS-IV compliant vehicles (two, three, four wheelers, and commercial vehicles) with effect from 1st April, 2017, subject to the exception of vehicles sold prior to that date.
(A) The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, read in conjunction with the Bharat Stage emission standards framework, governs the manufacture, sale, and registration of motor vehicles in India. The provisions operate to prohibit the sale and registration of vehicles that do not conform to the emission norms mandated for the relevant period, here the Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) standards effective from 1st April, 2017. The Act provides the regulatory mechanism through which the state exercises control over vehicular pollution, and the standards notified thereunder are binding on manufacturers and dealers alike, particularly where public health and environmental protection are concerned.
(B) The core legal principles established are that compliance with emission standards is mandatory from the date of enforcement, commercial interests of manufacturers and dealers do not supersede public health concerns, and the state has the authority to prohibit the sale and registration of non-compliant vehicles to mitigate air pollution.
Facts of the case:
Manufacturers and dealers held stock of vehicles that complied with the Bharat Stage-III (BS-III) emission standards but did not meet the BS-IV standards. The manufacturers argued that they were entitled to sell and register this existing stock from 1st April, 2017, claiming they had ceased manufacturing non-compliant vehicles. Conversely, the Amicus Curiae and the public interest contended that allowing the sale and registration of these vehicles would exacerbate air pollution and pose a significant health hazard, given that requisite fuel quality for BS-IV vehicles was available nationwide from the specified date.
Findings of Court:
The Court accepted the submission of the Amicus Curiae, determining that the health and well-being of the populace outweigh the commercial interests of the manufacturers. It found that the manufacturers were aware of the impending transition to BS-IV standards well in advance and were under an obligation to phase out non-compliant vehicles proactively. The Court held that permitting the sale of non-compliant vehicles would be unjustified and detrimental to public health.
Issues:
Whether vehicles that meet BS-III but not BS-IV emission standards can be legally sold and registered on or after 1st April, 2017, in light of the mandatory emission norms and the availability of requisite fuel quality.
Ratio Decidendi:
The paramountcy of public health and environmental protection over commercial considerations necessitates a prohibition on the sale and registration of vehicles that fail to comply with the mandated emission standards from the effective date, irrespective of the existence of prior stock.
Result:
A blanket prohibition on the sale and registration of all non-BS-IV compliant vehicles (two, three, four wheelers, and commercial vehicles) with effect from 1st April, 2017, subject to the exception of vehicles sold prior to that date.
ORDER
1. We have heard the learned Solicitor General, learned Amicus Curiae, learned counsel for the interveners who are manufacturers of vehicles (two wheelers, three wheelers, four wheelers and commercial vehicles – for short referred to as ‘such vehicles’) and learned counsel for the association of dealers of such vehicles.
2. The seminal issue in these applications is whether the sale and registration and therefore the commercial interests of manufacturers and dealers of such vehicles that do not meet the Bharat Stage-IV (for short 'BS-IV') emission standards as on 1st April, 2017 takes primacy over the health hazard due to increased air pollution of millions of our country men and women. The answer is quite obvious.
3. The controversy relates to the sale and registration (on and after 1st April, 2017) of such vehicles lying in stock with the manufacturers and dealers that meet the Bharat Stage III emission standards (for short BS-III standards) but do not meet the BS-IV emission standards.
4. Briefly, according to the manufacturers, they are entitled to manufacture such vehicles till 31st March, 2017 and they have done so. In so doing, they say that they have not violated any prohibition or any law. Hence, the sale and registration of such vehicles on and from 1st April, 2017 ought not to be prohibited. They say that they will not be manufacturing any vehicle that does not comply with the BS-IV emission standards from and after 1st April, 2017 and therefore the only issue is the sale and registration of the existing stock of such vehicles that comply with BS-III emission standards. They say that they may be given reasonable time to dispose of the existing stock of such vehicles.
5. On the other hand, according to the learned Amicus, permitting such vehicles to be sold or registered on or after 1st April, 2017 would constitute a health hazard to millions of our country men and women by adding to the air pollution levels in the country (which are already quite alarming). It is her submission that the manufacturers of such vehicles were fully aware, way back in 2010, that all vehicles would have to convert to BS-IV fuel on and from 1st April, 2017 and therefore, they had more than enough time to stop the production of BS-III compliant vehicles and switch over to the manufacture of BS-IV compliant vehicles. In fact, the major manufacturer of 4 wheeler vehicles, Maruti Sazuki had completely switched over to the manufacture of BS-IV compliant vehicles a few years ago. However, for reasons best known to manufacturers of such vehicles and entirely at their peril, they did not make a complete switch (though a partial switch has been made) even though they had the technology and technical know-how to do so. Therefore, keeping the larger public interest in mind and the potential health hazard to millions of our country men and women due to increased air pollution, there is no justification for any of the manufacturers not shifting to the manufacture of BS-IV compliant vehicles well before 1st April, 2017.
6. It has been brought to our notice that on 5th January, 2016 the learned Solicitor General on behalf of the Government of India had submitted before this Court that requisite quality fuel for BS-IV compliant vehicles would be available (all over the country) with effect from 1st April, 2017 [M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, (2016) 4 SCC 269]. This was confirmed and reiterated by the learned Solicitor General during the course of hearing and he stated that now from 1st April, 2017 requisite quality fuel for BS-IV compliant vehicles would be available all over the country. He also pointed out that the refineries of the Government of India had incurred an expenditure of about Rs.30,000 crores for producing requisite fuel for BS-IV compliant vehicles.
7. On balance, in our opinion, the submission of the learned Amicus deserves to be accepted keeping in mind the potential health hazard of such vehicles being introduced on the road affecting millions of our people in the country. The number of such vehicles may be small compared to the overall number of vehicles in the country but the health of the people is far, far more important than the commercial interests of the manufacturers or the loss that they are likely to suffer in respect of the so-called small number of such vehicles. The manufacturers of such vehicles were fully aware that eventually from 1st April, 2017 they would be required to manufacture only BS-IV compliant vehicles but for reasons that are not clear, they chose to sit back and declined to take sufficient pro-active steps.
8. Accordingly, for detailed reasons that will follow, we direct that:
(a) On and from 1st April, 2017 such vehicles that are not BS-IV compliant shall not be sold in India by any manufacturer or dealer, that is to say that such vehicles whether two wheeler, three wheeler, four wheeler or commercial vehicles will not be sold in India by any manufacturer or dealer on and from 1st April, 2017.
(b) All the vehicle registering authorities under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 are prohibited for registering such vehicles on and from 1st April, 2017 that do not meet BS-IV emission standards, except on proof that such a vehicle has already been sold on or before 31st March, 2017.
9. As mentioned above, detailed reasons for the above order will be given in due course.