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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday stayed for two weeks its earlier order banning diesel vehicles older than 10 years from plying on the roads of the national capital. The move came in response to a plea from the Delhi government.
A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar said: “There shall be no impounding of vehicles for two weeks. We make it clear that we are varying our order only for two weeks.”
The Bench also asked the city government to give suggestions on providing incentives to those transferring/scrapping old, polluting diesel vehicles, and on fixing a cap on the number of vehicles to be registered in the capital. It also sought rationalisation of parking charges, to prevent people from parking their vehicles along roadsides.
A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar said: “There shall be no impounding of vehicles for two weeks. We make it clear that we are varying our order only for two weeks.”
The Bench also asked the city government to give suggestions on providing incentives to those transferring/scrapping old, polluting diesel vehicles, and on fixing a cap on the number of vehicles to be registered in the capital. It also sought rationalisation of parking charges, to prevent people from parking their vehicles along roadsides.
The panel directed the Delhi government and other government departments to give “scientifically backed views” by May 1, when the issue will be next heard.
NGT had on April 8 ordered that all 10-year-old diesel vehicles and 15-year-old petrol ones be taken off the roads in the National Capital Region. The order, which was an upgrade of a previous one from December 2014 banning all vehicles older than 15 years from Delhi roads, had covered light and heavy vehicles as well.
Experts had, however, warned that part of the public health benefits from these could be wiped out if vehicles replacing the ones going off the roads were also diesel variants, with the existing fuel quality standards.
The Delhi government had earlier estimated that the December 2014 order would itself take more than 2.9 million vehicles off the road.
Who said what
NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar:
* There shall be no impounding of vehicles for two weeks. We make it clear that we are varying our order only for two weeks
* The city government should submit suggestions on providing incentives to those transferring/scrapping old, polluting diesel vehicles and on fixing a cap on the number of vehicles to be registered in the capital
* Parking charges should be rationalised so that people are encouraged to use parking facilities, and do not park their vehicles on roadsides
Delhi govt advocate Zubeida Begum:
* The government is finding it really difficult to implement the ban order
* Essential services like vegetable supply and garbage carrying trucks are hit
Industry reaction
Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) General Secretary Praveen Khandelwal:
* Instead of banning such vehicles, alternative cleaner fuels should be developed and the policy of retrofits should be used to reduce emission from old trucks
* Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should constitute a special working group, comprising senior officials, to help the government arrive at a permanent solution to the problem of pollution by trucks
Delhi Transporters’ Association General-Secretary Sundeep Jain:
* NGT’s ban order had pronounced disaster for truckers and people associated with them
* The government should consider importing devices from the US to minimise pollution by up to 60 per cent, and allow fitting those in existing vehicles
