New Delhi - India's highest green court on Monday issued a notice to the central government and Volkswagen, seeking a response on a plea on ban of its vehicles.
The National Green Tribunal has given both the Indian government and the German automobile giant until December 23 to file their responses.
The court's notice came in the wake of a plea by a Delhi-based teacher who has sought a ban on the manufacture and sale of Volkswagen vehicles in India for allegedly flouting emission norms. “Vehicles manufactured and sold by Volkswagen have been polluting the environment in blatant and utter disregard to government regulations, endangering lives of millions of people,” the plea said.
It added: “Direct thorough inspection of vehicles being imported and sold by Volkswagen in India after their import and to disallow any further sale of such vehicles.”
In September Volkswagen admitted to manipulating emission tests in the United States. Since then the saga has exploded into a global crisis for the carmaker and one that will see it recalling 11 million vehicles and paying billions of dollars worth of fines.
Xinhua