Taking strong exception to Delhi Government’s “casual approach” on monitoring vehicles entering the city, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) slammed the Government on Thursday and warned it to “stop making jokes” of the Tribunal’s orders. The green bench also directed the State Government to produce complete details of inspection conducted by it in compliance of its orders.
While hearing arguments on devising alternative routes to ease pressure on Delhi roads, a bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar said, “You were supposed to check three things (age, weight and extent of pollution caused by vehicles) at the different entry points to Delhi. Have you done that or notIJ Stop making jokes of our orders. You can’t just sit and tell us anything you want. We will impose cost on your officers.”
When the bench sought to know the latest status on inspection of heavy vehicles coming to the capital and their entry timings, the counsel for Delhi Government found himself in a fix and tried to seek instructions from the officers present around him, who also looked clueless on the matter.
“Why does this army of officers come when they don’t know anythingIJ It is ridiculous… You tell us on Monday at how many entry points you have complied with our orders. We want details of all departments involved in the exercise, what action you have taken and what instruments you used during inspection. If not, then whyIJ” the bench said.
The green panel had on July 20 constituted three teams comprising enforcement department of the transport department, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), weights and measures department and Delhi Police to check vehicles for their age, weight and extent of pollution caused while entering Delhi at various entry points.
The Delhi Government told the Tribunal that out of several inlets to Delhi, 83 per cent of pollution is captured by13 entry points.
On the Tribunal’s query on number of vehicles registered in Delhi, the city Government informed the bench that the total number of diesel vehicles registered in 2013 was 66,546, while in 2014 it rose to 70,362. In 2015, the total number of diesel vehicles registered till May was 25,759.
Contending that diesel vehicles caused 27 times more pollution than petrol-driven ones, the bench said, “So according to your data, there is an increase in number of diesel vehicles in these years in Delhi. God only knows what’s happening in Noida and other areas.”
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police informed the bench that it will be conducting a meeting on Friday to decide alternate routes to decongest roads till Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressway are constructed.