CNG sticker sale limited to one station after irregularities

Around 1,600 motorists were today penalised for violating odd-even norms even as Delhi government claimed the cut in vehicular emission due to the scheme has resulted in "definitive decline" in levels of pollutants in the air across the city.
Cracking down on illegal sale of CNG stickers, necessary for getting CNG vehicles exempted from the restrictions, government has decided to limit its sale to only one station of Indraprastha Gas Ltd as against 114 places across Delhi and NCR.
Transport Minister Gopal Rai said the decision to limit number of CNG station selling stickers to one was taken after reports of unscrupulous elements selling stickers to owners of non-CNG vehicles.

He said one Dipak Sen from Vivek Vihar CNG station was "caught" selling CNG stickers to non-CNG vehicles and he had "admitted" to the crime. He was selling the sticker for Rs 2,800. The Indraprastha Gas Ltd has registered a case against him at Vivek Vihar police station, Rai said.
So far, CNG stickers were available at 95 CNG stations in Delhi and another 19 stations in NCR. One LPG car owner was also caught today for driving around pasting a CNG sticker.
Rai said data of pollutants collected from over 55 locations showed a clear trend of improving air quality in city and that there has been a "positive impact" of the odd-even scheme.

Police said it penalised 401 motorists for violating the odd-even restrictions as against yesterday's figure of 1,040. The teams of Delhi Government fined around 1,200 motorists. Yesterday, over 1900 motorists were fined.

A total of around Rs 60 lakh were collected from violators. For each violation, a motorist is fined Rs 2,000.
The Metro said its ridership till 8 PM rose by nearly 2 lakh to 21,26,515 lakh as compared to Tuesday last. However, today's figure was less than that of yesterday when it stood at 28,19,657.
The government said data of pollutants collected from over
55 locations showed a clear trend of improving air quality in several areas across the city and that there has been a "positive impact" of the odd-even scheme.

"According to the scientists of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), 80 per cent of PM2.5 air pollution is caused by vehicular traffic and reduction in its levels, even in outer areas of Delhi shows that reduction of four wheeled vehicles on roads since the New Year Day is having a positive impact," the government said in a statement.
However, a report by IIT Kanpur had said vehicular pollutions contribute to around 25 per cent of PM2.5 concentrations during winters which comes down to 9 per cent during summers.
It said the ambient air data collected by DPCC through mobile dust samplers using Light Scattering Technique at 20 locations in peripheral areas of Delhi on January 4 showed a clear declining trend in the levels of PM2.5.

The major source of PM2.5 pollutant is vehicular pollution.
"In 13 of these 20 locations, the PM2.5 level has been recorded at less than 300, which proves reduction in comparison to previous years at the same time by at least 100 units," it said.
Rai had asked for data collection from peripheral areas of Delhi to ascertain the impact of NCR towns on air pollution of Delhi.
Government said since January 1, the DPCC mobile teams have recorded ambient air data from 55 locations, and the trend is that air quality is improving in central parts and other areas which are not on the borders of the national capital.

"The PM10 data for the latest 20 locations from peripheral areas of Delhi shows an adverse impact of NCR towns. PM10, the major cause of which is dust arising from construction waste and wind blown dust, is on the higher side in bordering areas," it added.