In a move aimed at enhancing air quality control, the Supreme Court on Wednesday deliberated on the implementation of hologram-based colour-coded stickers for vehicles across India. This initiative seeks to enforce pollution under control (PUC) certificates more stringently.
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan highlighted the urgency of the matter amid worsening air quality, particularly in Delhi where the Air Quality Index (AQI) nears critical levels. The Justices questioned the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4) as the AQI approaches hazardous levels of 480-490.
During the proceedings, the court instructed senior advocate Aparajita Singh, serving as an amicus curiae, to draft a note outlining necessary amendments to the Motor Vehicles (High Security Registration Plates) Order, 2018. This order integrates the colour-coded stickers, which differentiate vehicles based on the fuel type, potentially aiding in the restriction of high-emission vehicles during high pollution days.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, acknowledged the court’s concerns about pollution levels and pledged to respond to the queries regarding the GRAP-4 implementation.
The discussion also touched on the slow progress in affixing these hologram stickers, especially on vehicles registered before the April 1, 2019 mandate. The court expressed concerns over the enforcement of PUC certificates, stressing the need for rigorous compliance to mitigate the pollution from vehicles.
Furthermore, the court suggested that public sector undertakings and government agencies prioritize purchasing electric vehicles to reduce emissions.
The Supreme Court has scheduled January 27 to further consider the broader application of the sticker system beyond the National Capital Region (NCR), where this initiative first began following a 2018 directive. Initially, the system was aimed at identifying and regulating vehicles by fuel type—light blue stickers for petrol and CNG vehicles, and orange for diesel in the NCR.
