Green tax on trucks to stay for now
DETERRENT Imposition of pollution charge led to fall in number of trucks entering Delhi
NEW DELHI: Started as a pilot initiative to stop polluting trucks and other heavy vehicles not bound for Delhi from entering the national capital, the green tax fixed by the Supreme Court will continue to be in place.
The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) has asked the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to continue the collection of the environment compensation charge (ECC) or green tax from trucks entering Delhi until further orders.
EPCA member Sunita Narain said the extension has been given only till the second week of March when the Supreme Court will hear the matter again.
Sources in the corporation said that the move comes after the EPCA saw a dramatic fall in trucks entering Delhi. “The previous concessionaire had pointed out how the green tax had become a major deterrent for non- Delhi bound trucks entering the city,” said a senior South MCD official.
Over 52,000 trucks enter Delhi every day from the 127 entry/exit points. Details submitted by the previous concessionaire to the municipal corporation and to the apex body say the green tax had reduced the number of trucks entering Delhi by over 30%, suggesting that over 15,000 trucks had chosen alternative routes.
Senior municipal officials said that nearly 100 crore had been collected as green tax so far.
Taking cognisance of the deteriorating environmental conditions and rising levels of pollution, the Supreme Court had levied the green tax on October 12 last year.
The Supreme Court had originally fixed the green tax on light commercial vehicles with two axles loaded with goods at 700 and those loaded commercial vehicles with three and four axles
1,300 to enter Delhi. The SC then doubled it to 1,400 and 2,600.