The Supreme Court has accepted the proposal to increase the environment compensation charge (ECC) on commercial vehicles crossing the Delhi borders. A yearly escalation of 5% was also mandated to shift the behaviour of commercial transporters from “polluting” to “non-polluting” through financial pressure.
This order was passed on March 12, 2026 by the division bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, and comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi while giving assent to the recommendation by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to revise the ECC rates commencing from April 1, 2026.
The court while accepting the CAQM proposal to be fair and reasonable it also specified that the non-essential commercial vehicles must not enter Delhi, but take the peripheral expressways.
The court further explained that mandating 5% yearly increase in ECC rates is to discourage the entry of diesel commercial vehicles in Delhi which has higher operational costs avoiding inflation and increase in the toll of the NHAI. These revision rates must be notified by Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). The Court noted that unless strict and evolving measures are implemented, efforts to control pollution would remain ineffective.
This ruling is part of a broader judicial approach where environmental concerns are given priority (MC Mehta case), especially in cities like Delhi that consistently face hazardous air quality levels. The Court has, in the past, supported measures such as restrictions on older vehicles, promotion of cleaner fuels, and stricter emission norms.
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