Provide air quality report during odd-even scheme: NGT to govt

The National Green Tribunal today directed the Delhi government to submit a report on ambient air quality in the national capital during the implementation of the odd-even scheme.

The direction came while hearing a plea seeking ban on three-wheelers running on two-stroke engine and quadricycles on the ground that they cause pollution.

The green panel constituted a committee comprising officials from Ministry of Road Transport, Delhi government, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and directed them to conduct a survey on the level of emissions generated by the vehicles.

"The committee shall take samples of emission from all types of scooters, two wheelers as well as CNG buses," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The bench issued notice to Ministry of Road Transport, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Delhi government, Central Pollution Control Board and Delhi Pollution Control Committee while seeking their reply by February 26 on the plea filed by environment activist K Manoharan.

The plea said that quadricycles cause pollution as there were no defined norm for them by the government.

Earlier, a plea was also moved in the Delhi High Court against running of quadricycles in the capital, saying they do not have proper safety measures as required as per the standard of Indian roads.

Under the odd-even scheme which was implemented in Delhi between January one and January 15, private cars having odd registration numbers were allowed to ply on odd dates and those with even numbers on even dates. The restriction period was from 8 AM to 8 PM.