Learn from China: NGT to Centre on curbing vehicular pollution

The National Green Tribunal today asked Centre to learn from China in curbing vehicular pollution in the Delhi-NCR, as it extended till July 13 the stay on its order banning plying of over 10-year-old diesel motor vehicles.
"Why can't you learn from China? Have you gone through the reports how vehicular pollution is controlled in Shanghai city of China," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.
The observation came when Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand cited a report prepared by IIT-Delhi saying that up to 67 percent of total Particulate Matter at 2.5 emissions from road transport was contributed by goods traffic (heavy and light duty commercial vehicles) alone, even though their share in total vehicular fleet in Delhi was only 4 per cent.

The bench then wanted to know what could be done to check this 67 per cent emission, with the ASG suggesting that long term measures should be adopted as short term measures would not suffice.
She submitted that age of the vehicle may not be the only criteria for curbing pollution and suggested that the Centre was also thinking about a single fuel policy.
The IIT, Delhi report said that Delhi was among the top 10 cities with worst particulate matter pollution, as per World Health Organization (WHO) estimates for 2014.

The green panel has now listed the matter for final hearing on July 13 while asking the Centre and Delhi government to file their replies within three weeks on the reasons for non-compliance of its earlier order.

"Government of India, NCT Delhi both will file their reply as why NGT should not pass an appropriate order for non- compliance of its order withing three weeks. All interim orders will continue," the bench said.
The bench also asked the Central Pollution Control Board to file additional data in support of its report regarding pollution in the national capital region (NCR).