Sighting the rising pollution, National Green tribunal has issued a ban over all the diesel vehicles over 10 years old in Delhi and adjoining states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. In November 2014 the tribunal has issued a similar kind of order in which NGT banned all the diesel vehicles over 15 years old but the states failed to stick on it, so plan was scrapped.
The countries like Sri Lanka, Brazil, China and Denmark are planning to ban diesel vehicles. All of us know that automobiles play a major role in causing air pollution but most of us are unaware about the fact that diesel vehicles play a huge role in causing air pollution. After the pollution levels risen to deadly levels and making Delhi unsuitable for breathing, government has been trying to find out different ways to stop air pollution.
According to recent surveys the situation is very severe and will become unmanageable in the near future. But in India, shifting of responsibilities from one to another is a typical way to defend and running away from the responsibilities. All the previous plans was either criticized or adhered by the states and new decision is also likely to face same treatment.
Delhi NCR probably has the highest number of 15 years old vehicles around 2.8 million but Traffic police only able to seize 1100 of such vehicles in last three months or so. The national green tribunal asked states to take various measures to curb rising pollution and asked them to set up booth at the borders of Delhi to check Pollution, weight and Age.
A bench of five members the green court, headed by its chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, ruled, “No diesel vehicles – light or heavy – over 10 years will be allowed to operate in Delhi-NCR. All registering authorities in Haryana, UP and Delhi would file a list of petrol vehicles more than 15 years old and diesel vehicles more than 10 years old before the tribunal and provide the same to the (state) police.” Pollution levels are at alarming levels and residents of Delhi deserve better“.
“All authorities and the state have utterly failed to comply with the directions of the Tribunal. Authorities have not even initiated action for compliance. Due to the increasing pollutants of air, the life of residents of NCR Delhi is becoming more vulnerable to various diseases and the greatest sufferers are young children,” the green court said
Apart from banning old vehicles, the NGT also banned all the unregulated construction found violating environment laws and court orders.
