Efforts to clean up the national Capital’s air will see the addition of 420 new coaches to the Delhi Metro’s fleet by December and 104 new CNG stations in Delhi-NCR by March this year.
These measures formed part of another order passed by the Supreme Court on Thursday as a follow up to its earlier ones restricting registration of diesel vehicles of 2000 cc and above and imposing a green compensation tax on trucks passing through Delhi.
The SC also ordered an increased vigil over construction activities in the NCR by a court-appointed expert committee that will report violations of pollution norms directly to the apex court.
looking at long-term measures to rid Delhi of increased pollution, the Bench, headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur had asked the Centre and Delhi Government to suggest steps to augment public transport.
Solicitor-General Ranjit Kumar who appeared for the Centre shared a note prepared by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) which said that considering the daily footfall of 30 lakh commuters, there will be phased increase in coaches.
By December 2016, the DMRC will get 420 coaches and 486 coaches will be added in the Phase 3 line that will be operational by December 2017. With this, the Metro will cover 45 lakh commuters in the city.
The Bench of CJI Thakur and Justice R Banumathi told Kumar to ensure that 420 coaches were available before December this year. The details with regard to compliance of the court’s order will be placed before the court-appointed expert body called the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA).
Kumar said the Centre had handed over four plots of land in the Capital to Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to open bus depots.
This came as a shot in the arm for the Aam Aadmi Party Government in Delhi as it has plans to increase the existing bus fleet from existing 6,000 to 10,000. Also on the proposal to open 104 CNG pumps in Delhi-NCR, the Solicitor-General said it will be complete by March 31 this year.
Senior advocate Harish Salve who assisted the court on behalf of EPCA pointed out that high VAT component in NCR States made CNG dearer for consumers. Kumar said that in the Capital too, CNG consumption was only 32 per cent of the total carrying capacity at the gas filling pumps. However, on introduction of BS-VI grade fuel, he was confident of meeting the April 2020 deadline.
A suggestion was made by one of the petitioners that BS-VI fuel that is manufactured at two Indian refineries owned by Reliance and Essar for export purposes could be used by the Government for domestic use as well. The Bench rebuked the counsel for bringing such “flowery ideas” to the court without realising the court’s constraint. It said, “We cannot take over policy-making and ask the Government to take over manufacturing from private companies. It can bring down the economy.”
As a follow up to its earlier order asking States to act tough on construction projects causing dust pollution, the Bench found that States of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi failed to report violations.
The Delhi Government’s counsel pointed out that violators escape with a petty fine of Rs 50,000. The court required these projects to either use sprinklers to allow dust to settle or put huge curtains at construction sites to contain the dust.
The Bench asked the EPCA to monitor the situation by conducting surprise checks and prepare a report on violations and corresponding failure on part of Government agencies or officers. The next hearing will be held on February 18. On this date, the court will also review the progress made by States in diverting trucks and commercial vehicles from entering Delhi at NH 1, 2, 8, 10, 24, 58 and State Highway 57 situated in UP. The National Highways Authority of India will be represented in court on the next date of hearing.