National Green Tribunal, also known as an environment saviour, has yet again called for a ban on old diesel vehicles. NGT had requested for ban on diesel vehicles, with engines larger than 2000cc, in Delhi last year with a plan to extend the same to 11 other large cities in India.
Now, NGT has ordered to put a ban on diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old. Although the request has not yet been approved and implemented, the Transport Department is all in to put it out. This also affects nearly 2.82 lakh cars in New Delhi, where the ban will be effective.
As a warning, the Transport Department will allow the car owners to get an NOC, or a No Objection Certificate, to legitimately register and car and sell it outside the union territory as soon as possible. Failure to do so will attract cancellation of registration of these vehicles, rendering them useless.
A government official said, “We will ask the owners of 2.82 lakh diesel vehicles, which are more than 10 years old, to apply for NOC in the Transport Department to sell their vehicles outside Delhi. Government will give sometime to them so that vehicle owners could get NOC from the department.”
NGT has directed Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Delhi to de-register all diesel vehicles older than 10 years, and provide the list as well. A public notice will be put up as well to apprise the common man of the new development.
The official further added, “If they fail to do so, Transport department will start de-registering them and share details with the Delhi Traffic Police to take strict action against them. Teams of Transport Department and Traffic Police will impound vehicles, which are more than 10 years old, if they are spotted on roads.”
The order seems unfair to the common man in Delhi
The National Green Tribunal and Government of Delhi together have taken some steps to curb pollution in the city, and some of them have failed to do wonders here. For a simple fact, simply reducing the number of vehicles on road would not bring the pollution levels down.
As common man, we understand that there is an urgent need to reduce the pollutants in the city, but banning a particular class of vehicles, without consulting industry experts, will not help anyone in the long run. Instead, the vehicles polluting the most are still on the road and enjoying their journey.
The need of the hour is to identify the automobiles that do not follow the Bharat Stage norms in India, do not get regular pollution checks and pose maximum risk to denizens of the capital. A well maintained, regularly serviced 10 year old car will cause less pollution as compared to a 2 year old badly maintain car not taken care off well.
Secondly, the NGT needs to have a plan for putting a ban on vehicles. One cannot simply order a ban without giving enough time for owners to look out for secondary options. Public transport in Delhi isn’t upto the mark, and the old cars in Delhi provide a good alternative to the hustle and bustle of the city.
Again, we hope the NGT consults industry experts before coming out with a public notification, because their concerns do not go hand-in-hand with the public interest. The Government also needs to buckle up and provide a good public transportation system in Delhi, apart from the Metro, to accommodate these policies.
Source: ET
