Implementing the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) order banning diesel vehicles that are older than ten years from entering Delhi NCR is turning out to be a nightmare for the Delhi Government.
Transport department officials are at their wits’ end as the city Government does not have the wherewithal to stop such vehicles from entering Delhi NCR. A heavily short-staffed Delhi Government has requisitioned 250 Civil Defence workers to back up the transport department’s enforcement unit.
However, this is just the tip of the iceberg! The absence of U-turns at border points is adding to the beleaguered Government’s woes as it is nearly impossible to turn back offending vehicles that have been stopped by the officials. This caused major traffic jams at loni Border and Ghaziabad Border on Thursday.
The transport department has written to the Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic), seeking deployment of traffic staff along with the enforcement team of the department to help implement the NGT’s orders.
It has also sought help in strengthening the mechanism of inspection and maintenance of inspection registers at all 23 entry points of seven National Highways in order to prevent the entry of overloaded, old and polluting vehicles into Delhi NCR.
The Delhi Government has also called a meeting with transport officials of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (UP) to discuss the implementation of the order. According to the Traffic Police, 263 diesel vehicles were impounded till Thursday morning. However, according to Transport Minister Gopal Rai, the Transport Department impounded 36 trucks till Thursday morning.
Officials say that a decision to construct several U-turns on the borders may be taken in the next few days to make it easier to send back vehicles. For this, the transport department needs help
of the Traffic Police and officials of the neighbouring States of UP and Haryana.
Rai said the Government has decided to enlist the help of 250 Civil Defence personnel in implementing the NGT’s order and it has convened a meeting with Haryana and UP Government officials to discuss the future course of action. Citing staff crunch, the Delhi Government has also asked the Centre and Delhi Police to help in enforcing the ban.
“Most trucks from Haryana and UP pass through Delhi. Experts have told us that during the day, pollution levels are low as most vehicles plying in the city are CNG-run, but at night, it significantly increases as entry of trucks from other States is open,” Rai said.
“We have called a meeting of Haryana and UP officials on Monday where we would discuss several issues pertaining to strict implementation of the NGT’s order,” Rai said.
“We have also sought the Centre’s help as there may be a need for an amendment in the existing law. Apart from this, we have also written to the Traffic Police. At present, we have 166 personnel in the enforcement section, which is inadequate,” Rai said.
According to Rai, the Government has received several suggestions regarding banning of diesel vehicles that include imposition of high tax on diesel vehicles and congestion tax in Delhi.
A transport department official said it cannot implement the NGT’s order on its own as there are 1,18,776 private diesel vehicles and 34,659 commercial vehicles which are more than ten-years-old.
“Six to seven teams are deployed in different parts of the city every day and at night. We are already facing a staff crunch as 600 posts are lying vacant for a long time. We cannot implement the green court’s order alone,” said the official requesting anonymity.
“Banning of vehicles older than ten years will lead to more than 100,000 vehicles going off the road, resulting in a loss of thousands of crores. The ban so pronounced, by whatever logic or rationale, is parochial and not seen through the prism of practical implications. It would adversely impact the economy and the consumers as the movement of vehicles carrying essential goods into Delhi NCR will get diminished leading to scarcity and rise in cost of commodities,” said Delhi Goods Transport Association (DGTA) general secretary Rajendra Kapoor. He said the focus should be on fitness norms instead of age.