NGT demands clarifications from key authorities on cancer-causing chemicals in cars

The tribunal has now included several authorities as respondents, including the Secretary of MoRTH, the Director General of BIS, and the heads of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Projects (NATRIP).

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has requested responses from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), and other relevant bodies concerning the use of cancer-causing chemicals in cars.

This action follows the tribunal's suo motu consideration of a media report about the presence of two flame retardant chemicals in cars—TDCIPP and TCEP—that are known to be carcinogenic.

In a recent order, NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) lacks the facilities to test the carcinogenicity of these substances. Additionally, the tribunal observed that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in its September 10 report, did not take a definitive position on whether these chemicals are carcinogenic.

The tribunal has now included several authorities as respondents, including the Secretary of MoRTH, the Director General of BIS, and the heads of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Projects (NATRIP).

The tribunal has directed these newly added respondents to file their affidavits within eight weeks and scheduled the matter for further proceedings on January 3, 2025.