Diesel ban: NGT extends deadline for submission of pollution data

NGT now seeks revised data from each state, on total population, ambient air quality and category-wise number of vehicles of two most polluted cities and districts

The main Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday heard states’ responses on submission of pollution data and allowed their plea for more time. It, however, made additions to the list of particulars  be needed. “We need complete data from each state on affidavit within three weeks,” the Bench said.

The hearing was in relation to a plea seeking extension of the diesel vehicle ban currently applicable in the  National Capital Region (NCR) to other parts of the country.

The Supreme Court had in December 2015 barred the registration of new diesel vehicles with engine capacities of 2,000 cubic centimetres (cc) or larger in the NCR, in an attempt to curb vehicular pollution. Last week, the southern zonal Bench of the NGT imposed a similar ban on diesel vehicles in Kerala. However, the order was later stayed by the Kerala high court.

The present petition before the NGT at Delhi has been filed along similar lines and seeks to extend the NCR diesel ban across 11 cities, including Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad.

The petition comes as a response to a report from the Central Pollution Control Board, in compliance with a January 6 order listing 15 cities where ambient air quality did not meet prescribed standards.

During the hearing on Monday, the Bench had directed states’ to file pollution, population and vehicular data of their worst affected cities by Tuesday. It had termed the matter urgent and warned that bailable warrants might be issued against the respective chief secretaries if the order was not complied with. However, on Tuesday,  counsels for the states made their initial submissions before the Bench and sought additional time to provide the data due to immediate unavailability of the information as required. Allowing this plea, the Bench extended the deadline by three weeks, while also extending the scope of the information to be given.

The revised list of details from each of the states include data on total population, ambient air quality, and the number of vehicles (categorised into two-wheelers and four-wheelers, as well as into diesel and petrol) of each state’s two most polluted cities and districts.

The Bench also directed the authorities to provide a report on the impact of mining and heavy industry on air quality in the identified districts, as well as specific data on each major source of pollution.  The Bench has listed the matter again for hearing on July 11.  “There are usually only three major sources of pollution – pollution from dust, waste burning, and vehicular pollution,” the Bench said.