The Supreme Court of India has the union government's views on a plea seeking imposition of a green tax on private diesel car or sports utility vehicles (SUVs) to check pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Filed by senior advocate Harish Salve, the application sought an imposition of a levy of 25 per cent of the cost of the every new diesel vehicle purchased in the NCR.

In addition, the plea sought an imposition a 4 per cent levy on the cost of all existing private diesel vehicles and a levy of 2 per cent on all petrol cars in the NCR. Salve also suggested that the levy could be collected by vehicle dealers at the time of sale of the vehicle.

Arguing before a bench of Justice Aftab Alam, Justice K S Radhakrishnan and Justice Swatanter Kumar, Salve said that Delhi had already exhausted all soft options, and thus there was an urgent need to restrain the growth of private vehicle usage, particularly diesel vehicles. He suggested that usage of private vehicles could be restrained only through a highly enhanced transport system in NCR.'

The plea noted that the increasing use of personal vehicles, particularly of diesel vehicles, were just unacceptable as they were an obvious health hazard. The plea added, "Already there is evidence of severe respiratory aliments afflicting people. The air is toxic. NO2 is a trigger for serious respiratory conditions and sudden death syndrome among infants."

In 2001, the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority had claimed that nearly 80 per cent of vehicular pollution in Delhi was because of diesel exhausts and had suggested a switch to clean diesel.

In 2007, the authority had urged the Supreme Court of the country to completely put an end to the use of petrol in the city.