SC to hear plea on levy of 'pollution compensatory charges'

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear on Monday a fresh plea seeking levy of "pollution compensatory charges", in addition to the toll charge levied by municipalities, from commercial vehicles entering the national capital.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, who is the amicus curiae in a 1985 PIL filed by environmentalist M C Mehta, mentioned the plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu and sought its urgent hearing by terming pollution as an "extremely serious problem" that is likely to rise in the winter months on account of an unbearable pollution load.
"We will hear it on Monday," the bench, also comprising justice Amitava Roy, said.

Salve, in the plea, said, "the principle of Environment Law that the polluter has to pay is now a part of the constitutional jurisprudence".
The fresh plea sought directions for the Centre, Delhi Government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to ensure that "commercial vehicles entering the city of Delhi are required to pay a sum of not less than Rs 600 (for LCV and 2-axle) and not less than Rs 1200 (for 3-axle and above).
"This pollution compensatory charge will be imposed in addition to the toll charge imposed by MCD."

It has also sought a direction that "all collection of toll for vehicles entering Delhi be switched to the Radio- Frequency Identification (RFID) system of collection of toll on and from the 1st of December 2015."

The plea has said children and senior citizens were the "most vulnerable groups" affected by air pollution which is mostly caused by particulate matter (PM) load.
"That emissions from automobiles are responsible for the bulk of PM load which pollutes the ambient air. The second major cause of pollution is the Nitrogen Dioxide (NOx) load, which again is sourced from emissions of automobiles."
Seeking imposition of "pollution compensatory charges" on commercial vehicles, the plea said that most of them opt Delhi and NCR roads, instead of highways, as it is cheaper to traverse through the capital city.