Delhi govt asks Centre to make laws to curb air pollution

Facing a tough challenge to curb rising pollution in the city, Delhi government has asked the Centre to make strict provisions in law to impose hefty penalty on vehicles more than 15 years old entering the city from other states.
Delhi Environment Minister Asim Ahmed Khan said Delhi government was committed to take "effective steps" to bring down the pollution level and sought Centre's assistance to make legal provisions to curb vehicular emission.
"We have suggested to the Union Environment Minister to make a provision in the law to impose a hefty fine on more than 15 year old vehicles entering Delhi from other states," Khan told PTI.

At a conference of state Environment Ministers, Khan yesterday had urged the Centre to make common parameters for the entire Delhi-NCR region to contain pollution, saying steps were required to be taken by neighbouring states to deal with the challenge.
Delhi government has been maintaining that thousands of old vehicles from other states have contributed significantly to rising pollution level in Delhi.
"There is an urgent need to reduce pollution levels in Delhi and keeping this in mind, we have to take some major decisions," Khan said.

The National Green Tribunal had on November 26 last year had barred all vehicles - private cars, bikes, commercial vehicles, buses and trucks - over 15 years old from plying in the capital.

In another order, the NGT today said all diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old will not be permitted to ply in Delhi, noting that diesel is prime source of air pollution in Delhi.
The Tribunal directed the Transport department of Delhi government and other concerned authorities to prepare a comprehensive data of registration of all such vehicles which are 10 or more years old.