With Delhi being engulfed by smog worst in 17 years, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday ordered the Delhi Government to stop over 10-year-old diesel vehicles from plying on the roads in the national Capital.
“Why are you not effectively stopping 10-year-old diesel vehiclesIJ Issue directions to all the concerned authorities to take off all diesel vehicles which are over 10 years old from the roads,” a Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar said.
The Bench expressed its displeasure that its earlier order banning 10-year-old diesel vehicles was not being seriously executed and many of them were still visible on the roads with the traffic police doing nothing in the matter.
“Regarding health (of the people), nobody is bothered. On air pollution, nobody's bothered. The authorities are shifting the blame on each other. It is very bad,” the Bench remarked.
Advocate Tarunvir Singh Khehar, who appeared for the Delhi Government, told the tribunal that the authorities were challaning such vehicles but “we don't have space to park the impounded vehicles.” “We are challaning such vehicles but we have no space for parking. We have identified 21 such places,” he said.
To this, the NGT asked him to move an application before it in this regard so that appropriate directions could be passed to the Delhi Development Authority to provide space for parking of seized vehicles.
The counsel appearing for the Delhi Government told the Bench that the high-level of air pollution was due to the burning of agricultural residue in neighbouring States of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. “It's not just the crop burning. There is no crop burning in Delhi. According to you, crop burning is in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan but nowadays there is no wind, so the smoke can't come here from these states,” the Bench retorted.
The NGT also issued notices to the Secretaries of Environment and Urban Development of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan and directed them to remain present before it on the next date of hearing on November 8.
When the Bench asked the Delhi Government what steps it has taken to stop plying of diesel vehicles which were over 10- year-old here, the counsel said they were challaning such vehicles but “we don't have space to park impounded vehicles.” “We are challaning such vehicles but we have no space for parking,” the counsel for Delhi Government said.
As the hearing commenced, the Bench wanted to know about the preventive steps which were discussed during the meeting held yesterday in pursuance to its order.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand, who was appearing for the Centre, told the tribunal that as per the order, Chief Secretary of Delhi was to convene the meeting.
“The Central Government is living in Delhi. You can't say you are not concerned with air pollution. Yesterday we had passed directions to the authorities concerned to have a meeting with the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government along with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and other authorities.
“What happened in the meetingIJ who will tell usIJ We are asking this, but still there are no answers,” the Bench said. The ASG, however, told the green panel that there was no question of shifting blame on each other and they will file a status report detailing the preventive steps to tackle air pollution.
The Bench was hearing a matter in which the issue pertaining to poor air quality of Delhi has been raised.