Sources have stated that the National Green Tribunal had asked Volkswagen India on Friday why costs shouldn't be imposed on it for allowing around 3.14 lakh "polluting" vehicles to ply on the roads more than a year after it undertook to recall them.
Trials in the US showed Volkswagen had installed software in cars which allowed them to fudge emissions during tests. The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) too conducted tests on some Volkswagen models and found three to nine times more NOx emissions on the road compared to test conditions.
The bench had said, "The Company has offered voluntary recall which are subject matter of these proceedings on EA189 diesel engine the process of recall is not complied with". It had asked Volkswagen and ARAI to submit a roadmap for the recall. Following the tests, Volkswagen India had undertaken to rejig the software by recalling around 3.14 lakh vehicles which were in alleged violation of emission norms.
Of these, only 1 lakh have been recalled so far, said Sanjiv Ailawadi who is representing petitioner Saloni Ailawadi. The bench had also asked Volkswagen and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to "file roadmap with regard to recalling of the vehicles in question. We direct ARAI to file a submission with regard to present status of the recall programme."
