FACT CHECK: NGT has not revoked ban on old petrol and diesel cars in Delhi, reports fake

CLAIM
Several messages floating online claim that the ban on 10-year-old diesel vehicles and 15-year-old petrol vehicles has been revoked across the Delhi NCR.
The posts circulating on WhatsApp, Twitter and other social media platforms claim that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has lifted the ban and one can now renew the registration of such old vehicles by paying Rs 5000.

The messages also put out a notification from ‘The Gazette of India’ to make these claims.

Several renowned media publishers also picked up these messages and made similar claims in their news reports.
It should be noted that NGT in 2016 had prohibited the plying of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi NCR to ensure reduction of pollution of ambient air in the national capital region resulting from vehicular pollution.

It had further directed that vehicles plying on the roads or otherwise found to be polluting should be challaned not only under the Motor Vehicles Act but also under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and upon orders of National Green Tribunal Act, 2010. Also Environmental Compensation has been identified as Rs. 5,000/- for each violation.
TRUTH
NGT has not revoked the ban on 10 year old diesel vehicles and 15 year old petrol vehicles in Delhi NCR. The ban on them is still in effect.
VERIFICATION AND METHODOLOGY
The official twitter account of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, via a tweet, debunked these claims and clarified that the ban imposed by NGT was still in force.

“A fake news is in circulation in Social Media claiming that MoRTH has issued a notification lifting a ban imposed by Hon'ble NGT on vehicles (10 year old for diesel and 15 year old for petrol) in Delhi NCR,” the tweet read.

“It also claims that the RC of such vehicles can be renewed by a payment of Rs 5,000. MoRTH wishes to clarify that the ban imposed by Hon'ble NGT, and upheld by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, is still in force. The notification GSR 901(E) dated 22-12-2022, which is in circulation, is published by this Ministry to regulate the trading of in-use registered vehicles and is no way concerned with the ban imposed by the Hon’ble NGT,” it further stated.
Apart from this, Vinkesh Gulati, the Chairman of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association, confirmed via a tweet that the ban is still very much in effect. He further pointed out that several media houses have been “entangled in misconstrued information”.

Further to this, as per the Delhi Transport Department’s official website, diesel cars older than 10 years and petrol and CNG cars older than 15 years are still not allowed to ply on the road. The rule applies to government vehicles as well.
VERDICT
Times Fact Check has found the claims of NGT revoking ban on 15 year old petrol and 10 year old diesel cars in Delhi NCR to be false.