In the backdrop of directions from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board has issued directions to all regional transport officers in Himachal Pradesh to ensure that the vehicular emissions and noise standards norms as notified by Ministry of Environment & Forest, New Delhi is complied with in all the vehicles registered in the hill State.
The directions have been issued under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to all the Regional Transport Officers (RTO’s) of the State.
The RTO’s were also directed to ban and prohibit manufacture and usage of pressure horns and multi toned horns in the vehicles and to dismantle such horns already available in the vehicles.
The Himachal pollution body said the action taken report in this regard is still awaited despite several reminders issued to them. The National Green Tribunal has also passed several directions to control the air and noise pollution through various litigations filed in the Tribunal.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the State Board said it is regularly monitoring the ambient air quality in Himachal at 22 locations along with noise monitoring at regular intervals. It said that from the air monitoring results it appears that the vehicular emission is also the major source of rising air pollution in the State.
Chairman of the HP State Pollution Control Board Kuldeep Singh Pathania has written to Additional Chief Secretary, Transport to personally look into the matter and take necessary action in order to control the air and noise pollution being caused due to vehicular activities in Himachal Pradesh.
The Board said it is also regularly monitoring the water quality of major rivers and nallas in the state at 235 different locations. From the monitoring results, it is apparent that the major source of water pollution in the nallas and rivers passing through the major towns is mainly due to presence of Total Coliforms and Faecal Coliforms which clearly indicate the discharge of untreated sewage from to these water bodies.
In view of this, Pathania has also written to Additional Chief Secretary, I&PH to take necessary action in order to control deteriorating water quality of rivers due to discharge of untreated sewage from towns/cities and ensure that only treated sewage effluent meeting the prescribed standards is discharged to the river streams.