Seeking a response from all States and Union Territories, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday directed them to submit the status of measures taken to prevent air pollution caused by vehicles. Not only that, the green panel also directed the States to take ambient air quality samples in their areas and submit reports. Issuing notices to Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories, a Bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar also directed them to submit information on the density of vehicles and asked the State Governments to come up with suggestions to combat air pollution in their respective States.
This step comes in the backdrop of the NGT’s controversial ban on diesel vehicles older than ten years from plying on the roads of Delhi-NCR. The ban was later stayed for two weeks as a huge uproar was created against the ban by transporters. The green tribunal had then asked the Delhi Government and the Central Government for their responses on why diesel vehicles older than ten years should not be banned, and what steps could be taken to reduce pollution levels in the city.
Transport associations had protested against the ban and had threatened to go on strike, which was later called off because of the stay on the NGT order. Transport associations had claimed that the ban on old diesel vehicles would not have much impact on the pollution levels, but would surely hit thousands of lives who depend on these vehicles for their livelihood. They had claimed that it’s not the age of the vehicles that is responsible for pollution, but their maintenance. They had also requested Delhi’s Transport Minister Gopal Rai and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to formulate a comprehensive policy to tackle the problem of pollution instead of having a knee-jerk reaction of banning diesel vehicles.
On April 7, the tribunal had held that all diesel vehicles, heavy or light, which were older than ten years would not be permitted to ply in Delhi-NCR. later, it had stayed for two weeks its order to impound such vehicles. Over 500 vehicles had been impounded under the NGT order. Earlier, dismayed at the increasing air pollution in the national Capital, the tribunal had banned all vehicles which were more than 15-years-old from plying on the city’s roads.