As the City Beautiful battles rising pollution levels, the UT Environment Department is now mulling to impose a ban on the entry of petrol and diesel powered auto-rickshaws from neighbouring states to Chandigarh and taking stern action against the violators.
More than 4000 auto-rickshaws, mostly running on diesel are the main reason for increasing pollution levels in Chandigarh.
As per an estimate, more than 3,000 liquefied petroleum gas (lPG) – powered autos (three-wheelers) are plying on city roads. And, around 4,000 diesel or petrol powered autos bearing registration numbers of Haryana and Punjab enter Chandigarh daily.
According to the UT Environment Department, the exhaust from diesel and petrol powered autos is responsible for most of city’s air pollution problem.
Notably, the UT Administration had in 2008 decided to introduce lPG-run auto-rickshaws and ban diesel and petrol auto rickshaws on the city roads to curb pollution. The higher authorities had decided to phase out diesel and petrol-run auto-rickshaws from the city by August 31, 2009.
The decision was taken following 2009 Supreme Court orders for preparation of a scheme for compulsory switchover to CNG/lPG as automotive fuel.
Now, a large number of lPG powered autos bearing Chandigarh registration number ply on city roads. However, due to laxity of authorities concerned, a large number of diesel autos from neighboring Punjab and Haryana are still plying on Chandigarh roads as well.
The State Transport Authority (STA) has launched a number of drives to keep a check on plying of diesel and petrol autos from Panchkula (Haryana) and Mohali (Punjab) in Chandigarh but the drives has failed to contain the entry of such autos to the city.
While talking to The Pioneer, Santosh Kumar, Director, UT Environment Department said that the emissions from petrol and diesel run vehicles are the main reason for increasing pollutants in city’s air.
He said, “There is a need to ban the entry of petrol/diesel auto-rickshaws from neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana, plying in Chandigarh. More than 4000 petrol and diesel auto-rickshaws from neighboring states are plying in the city.”
“We have time and again requested the concerned authorities to keep a check on diesel and petrol autos entering Chandigarh. Now, we are in process to frame rules to ban their entry and deal with the violators sternly, said Santosh.
The STA drives, alone, can not stop the entry of these autos to Chandigarh, he added.
As per the data of Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC), the Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) exceeds the permissible limits at primary locations of the city.
The RSPM levels of 100 µg/m3 at the city’s heart—Sector 17, 131 µg/m3 at Industrial area-I, 119 µg/m3 at Kaimbwala village, 102 µg/m3 at IMTECH Sector 39 and 97 µg/m3 at Punjab Engineering College against the permissible limits of 60 µg/m3 have been registered here.