NGT flays Delhi Police over alternate routes to decongest city

The National Green Tribunal today rapped Delhi Police for not providing complete details on the alternate routes for commercial vehicles passing through the city to decongest the roads.
The green panel had directed Delhi Police to hold meeting with senior officers from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to create alternative routes for heavy polluting vehicles.
On August 31, a meeting was held in the Delhi Police headquarters here which was headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) where an alternate route via NH-71A and NH-71 (Panipat-Rohtak-Jhajjar-Bawal) was proposed.
When the bench today enquired about total number of vehicles entering at Panipat and Kundli, Delhi Police was clueless and sought more time to seek proper instructions.

"What is this? You had a meeting with officials from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Yet, your basic facts are not clear. At least be prepared for once," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said directing the police to come tomorrow with all the details.
During the hearing, Delhi Police told the green bench that this new route suggested by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is four lane and was adequate to cater to the traffic of more than 50,000 PCUs (passenger car units).

"The distance of the diverted route i.E through Panipat- Rohtak-Jhajjar-Bawal diversion is 166 km whereas the distance for route through New Delhi is 174 km," Delhi Police said.

It, however, said that there is a difference of Rs 300 in toll tax between the route proposed by NHAI and Delhi route as the proposed route has higher number of toll booths as compared to Delhi route which acts as a deterrent for heavy vehicles.
"While the toll in the new proposed route will be Rs 930 the same in Delhi is only Rs 609," it said favouring parity in toll tax at both places.
Earlier, the tribunal had slammed Delhi Police for giving an "outdated" traffic plan, formulated in 2002, and sought a map suggesting alternative routes to reduce pressure of the heavy vehicular traffic till the time Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressway are constructed.

Advocate Bhakti Pasrija Sethi, appearing for Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association (SCWLA), said considerable time has elapsed and nothing substantial has come out till date.