SC calls Delhi air critical, bans old vehicles
Top court expresses alarm at ‘critical, pitiable and terrible’ air quality levels in capital
NEW DELHI: India’s top court on Monday banned petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel ones which have crossed 10 years from the streets of Delhi, as it expressed alarm at the “critical, pitiable and terrible” air quality levels in the national capital, Delhi.
Old vehicles that do not conform to pollution norms should not ply in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR), the Supreme Court asserted, and directed the transport department to impound them at sight.
All such vehicles should be published on the web site of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and transport department, the court said. An advertisement on this should also be published in the newspapers.
“Newspapers tell us not to go out for walks in the morning and evening. But if you take a walk in the evening to the Old Delhi railway station, you will see poor people on cycle rickshaws. They have no option but to work outside to earn a living. Hundreds of people are earning their livelihood outside... how do you tell them?
“Will you tell them to kill themselves by working in all this pollution?” a threejudge bench comprising Justices Madan B. Lokur, S. Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta asked the government.
The judges asked the CPCB to immediately create a social media account on which citizens could lodge their complaints directly about pollution. Authorities should then take action on such complaints without fail.
The court also directed the delhi government to list diesel vehicles that have run for over 10 years and petrol ones over 15 years on its website as well as newspapers.
The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) told the judges that despite several court orders aimed at curbing violation of environment norms, nothing had been implemented “on the ground.” It cited its own Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) which has not been put to use.
The CPCB, meanwhile continued to report a grave situation, with pollution levels remaining critical.
The EPCA has taken a few steps under GRAP, such as deployment of night patrols to prevent burning of plastic; banning the passage of trucks through the national capital territory if pollution reaches “severe” levels; and ining those Found Burning RUBBISH By up to Rs500,000, to ensure the well-being of Delhi residents.