The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) order banning plying of diesel vehicles older than ten years in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) will have far-reaching consequences, resulting in loss of revenue to the Delhi Government and civic bodies, rise in unemployment, escalation of prices and non-availability of goods.
According to a traders’ association, the Delhi Government will suffer a daily loss of VAT revenue to the tune of Rs30 crore and municipal corporations will lose their revenue worth approximately Rs50 lakh per day in toll taxes. Former VAT Commissioner Rajni Kant Verma told The Pioneer that Delhi is expected to face huge revenue loss from ban on construction activities and diesel vehicles that are older than ten years.
“Delhi will face an annual loss of around Rs1,000 crore to Rs1,500 crore because of decline in diesel consumption, sale of diesel vehicles, stoppage of construction work and other revenue sources that will be impacted because of the NGT order,” said Verma.
Since Delhi is neither a manufacturing State nor an agricultural State, most consumables and industrial goods come to Delhi from neighbouring States. According to traders, Rs550 crore worth of business takes place in Delhi every day, out of which goods worth Rs250 crore are transported through vehicles that are older than ten years.
That’s not all. The NGT order will have an even greater fallout. The supply of goods, including essential commodities, will be greatly affected resulting in escalation in prices and non-availability of goods. It will also directly affect about 20 lakh people employed in the transport industry. There are other categories of trade as well that are dependent on old vehicles, like auto spare parts and auto repairing workshops. They will be worst hit as these businesses primarily cater to the needs of old vehicles.
Further, a large number of Government diesel vehicles more than 10 years old are engaged in civic services and transportation of essential commodities, including buses, fire tenders, civil supply vehicles, garbage trucks, MCD trucks, ambulances, etc. One can gauge the gravity of situation if all such vehicles are banned from plying on Delhi roads.
Praveen Khandelwal, National Secretary General of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), said that citing trucks alone as threat to pollution is unjustified. The pollution emanating in the neighbouring States also enters Delhi through the air. There are many other reasons for pollution like garbage, medical waste, e-waste etc. He further said that emission depends on vehicle maintenance. There may be many more vehicles of less than 10 years age whose emission levels may be much more.
He has urged both Delhi and Union Governments to intervene in the matter in the larger interest of Delhi and bring out a comprehensive policy to check pollution. “And till such time, the NGT may be approached to keep the order in abeyance,” he said.
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So far 703 vehicles have been impounded during drives conducted by the Delhi Traffic Police across the city following the NGT order since April. “The number of diesel vehicles has been decreasing on city roads following our actions. Approximately 700 vehicles, mostly buses and trucks, are impounded and towed to the pits,” Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Muktesh Chander told The Pioneer.
The Traffic Police had written to the neighbouring State Governments to prevent over 10-year-old buses and trucks from entering Delhi, otherwise they will be impounded, added Chander.