New Delhi: A Supreme Court bench on Wednesday said that only Bharat Stage-VI norm compliant vehicles would be allowed to be sold April 1, 2020, onwards. A three-judge bench headed by justice Madan B. Lokur passed the order which was based on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by environmentalist MC Mehta in 1985.

India currently uses Euro IV compliant fuels, called Bharat Stage IV in the country. The Centre has decided to change to the Euro VI level from April 2020, leapfrogging over Euro V norms.

Automobile makers and activists had moved court seeking clarification on whether sale and registration of non-Bharat Stage VI compliant vehicles would be allowed after that date.

In April 2017, automobile manufacturers had told the apex court about the technological difficulties in starting the process of converting vehicles to meet BS-VI emissions standards from 2019 to meet the April 2020 deadline.