The National Green Tribunal’s order to ban 10 years old diesel vehicle in Delhi and NCR (national capital region) has thrown the Haryana Government into a tizzy. The NGT in its recent orders came down heavily on Haryana Government and neighboring States of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh for not complying with its 2014 order on tackling pollution and had banned diesel vehicles that are over 10 years old from the national capital and NCR in a move to curtail hazardous automobile emissions.
With eleven districts of Haryana namely Gurgaon, Rewari, Faridabad, Palwal, Mewat, Rohtak, Sonipat, Paniapt, Jhajjar, Mahendergarh and Bhiwani included in national capital region (NCR), the State Government is in a fix over the implementation of the orders.
While the State Transport Department has already written to Regional Transport offices and SDMs to compile the data of 10 years old diesel vehicles in their jurisdiction, the process is likely to take few more days to complete.
“At present, the Department does not have any data of 10 years old diesel vehicles in Haryana. We have written to various concerned officials in the State to compile it and send the data. The reports from as many as 82 offices from across the State would be compiled and is likely to take few more days,” said an official in the State Transport Department while talking to The Pioneer.
He added that the State Government would seek more time from the NGT for the implementation of the orders as “we are still in the process of compiling the data of 10 years old diesel vehicles in NCR”.
Even as the process of the collecting the information is going on, the Transport officials apprehend that the number of such vehicles would be more than tens of thousands.
On the other hand, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) is now considering promotion of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles and to take up the matter with the State Government and the Centre.
The State authorities are struggling to bring down the high pollution levels in Gurgaon and Faridabad. An official of the HSPCB said that the absence of diesel vehicles will greatly impact the transport system in the state. Promotion of CNG vehicles in NCR region is the only solution to the pollution woes.
The HSPCB is planning to take up the matter with the higher authorities to promote the CNG public transport and private vehicles in the NCR region and installation of more CNG filling stations in districts like Gurgaon, Faridabad, Rohtak and others, added the HSPCB official.
As per the data with HSPCB, the maximum permissible limit for PM2.5 which is 60 µg/m3 (daily basis) and 100 µg/m3 for PM10, exceeds in Gurgaon and Faridabad and is marginally above in Panchkula. In NCR, Faridabad and Gurgaon have high concentration of PM2.5 - particulate matters less than 2.5 microns - form of air pollution, which is considered the most serious, as per a latest study of the Central Pollution Control Board.
Faridabad's air has PM2.5 concentrations of 189 micrograms while Gurgaon has 70. Similarly, concentration of PM10 - particulate matters of the size of 10 micrograms - form of pollution in cities, showed Faridabad to have 227 micrograms and Gurgaon at 111 micrograms.
The nitrogen dioxide levels in Faridabad were found to be 41, sulphur dioxide stood at 11 and carbon monoxide concentration was found to be the highest in Faridabad at 1.75 micrograms.
The presence of pollutants in air beyond a certain limits has a detrimental effect on the human health as well as animals. Besides, it also has adverse effect on vegetation.
According to the reports of HSPCB, there are four major sources of environmental pollution in Haryana i.e. industries, agriculture, urban local bodies and transport. In the year 2014, the NGT had directed the NCR states to ban 15 years old petrol cars. Now, diesel run vehicles that are more than 10 years old will have to stay off the roads. Time and again, the main contributory factors to air pollution have been attributed to old vehicles and diesel vehicles with high emissions.
Notably, Haryana government and Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) had earned the wrath of National Green Tribunal recently for submitting incomplete status report on number of stone crushers operating in Faridabad district of the state. NGT imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the officers of the board who had filed the status report which would be deducted from their salaries in three equal installments.