The National Green Tribunal has slammed the Environment Ministry and Railways over delay in fixing emission standards for diesel locomotive engines in the country.
The green panel took the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to task after it told the tribunal that it required 12 months more to complete a study on the subject.
"If RITES (consultancy organisation) has already inspected 30 railway engines what other study you want to conduct? You fix the emission criteria for the machines...List this matter on April 7," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.
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On December 22 last year, the tribunal had directed MoEF to hold a meeting with Central Pollution Control Board and Railways and submit report on emission standards for diesel locomotive within six weeks.
However, when the matter came up for hearing, the Environment Ministry sought more time saying," the standards are yet to be fixed and one year time is required for completion."
Railways had earlier submitted international standards for emissions from diesel locomotive railway engines and filed a data sheet indicating the emissions from 30 railway engines.
According to the data sheet, the emission levels in the tested 30 railway engines were much above international standards.
In November last, the green bench had directed Ministry of Railways to hold a meeting with IIT, CPCB and Ministry of Petroleum and asked them to collect data and set emission standards to ensure that no pollution is caused from the locomotive engines.
The directions came while hearing a petition filed by Dwarka resident S K Goyal about harmful emissions from diesel locomotives.
