TIL Desk/Business/New Delhi/ German car maker Volkswagen’s India unit has been directed by the National Green Tribunal to deposit Rs 1 billion (Rs 100 crore) with the Central Pollution Control Board, for alleged use of a cheat device in diesel cars to flout emission norms.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel also formed a committee comprising officials of the ministry of environment and forests, ministry of heavy industries, CPCB, and Automotive Research Association of India, to calculate the actual quantum of environmental loss, according to a report. The committee is expected to submit its report in a month.
The tribunal was hearing pleas filed by Saloni Ailawadi, a school teacher, and a few others seeking a ban on sale of VW cars for alleged violation of emission norms. “The Volkswagen Group is compliant with emission norms defined in India. The group is yet to receive a copy of the order from the NGT. The group will review the order and subsequently challenge the same,” said a spokesperson.
The group, which sells cars in India under multiple brands including VW, Skoda and Audi, had announced a recall of over 323,000 vehicles in December 2015 after a government investigation found that these vehicles did not meet the specified emission norms.