Submit report on stricter norms for checking emissions: NGT

Observing that the air quality in the capital has gone from "bad to worse", the National Green Tribunal today directed the Environment Ministry and pollution monitoring bodies to submit a report on stricter norms for checking of emissions from heavy vehicles entering the city.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said the pollution monitoring bodies like Central Pollution Control Board and Delhi Pollution Control Committee should come out with more stringent norms for testing emission levels.
"You are currently testing vehicles only for opacity of smoke and carbon dioxide emissions. Have you taken into account other parameters? We had asked you months back.

"What other parameters are required to be taken into account for checking vehicular emissions for diesel vehicles? MoEF, DPCC, CPCB shall place on record other standards for emissions beyond the current procedure and whether instruments are available for the same," the bench said.
The green panel also appointed local commissioners to conduct random checks at the different inlets to Delhi.
"We appoint advocates as local commissioners who would conduct surprise inspection at all seven entry points to find out whether there is any compliance to the directions passed by the tribunal or not.

"They will also report about the staff deployed at the entry points and the instruments used by them for checking the pollution caused by the heavy vehicles entering Delhi," the bench said.

During the proceedings, the counsel for Delhi government and Joint Commissioner (Traffic) told the bench that there were a total of 127 entry points to Delhi out of which 83 per cent of pollution is captured by only 13 points.
Out of 13, 7 entry points cater to 75 per cent of total pollution caused by vehicles and they are properly managed and keep a tab on all vehicles passing through them with regards to age, weight and extent of pollution. However, 6 entry points suffer from shortage of staff, they said.
On the issue of devising alternate routes, the green bench pulled the Delhi police for the delay in submitting map suggesting alternative routes to reduce pressure of the heavy vehicular traffic.

"This is not done. We had asked you a week back. What were you doing until now. We want the alternate routes by Wednesday," the bench said.