SC order too little, too late, Delhi needs a permanent ban on diesel vehicles: Experts

New Delhi: Pollution watchdogs and environmentalists have welcomed the Supreme Court’s order calling for a three-month ban on registration of diesel cars and SUVs beyond 2000 cc, but they feel it’s too late and too little given the gravity of the situation. The ban should have been made a permanent one to make Delhi’s air cleaner, they feel. Is a three-month ban enough to check the air pollution? Ravi Agarwal, director, Toxic Links, said, “It’s a welcome step no doubt, but there’s a little dilution in it. The NGT banned registration of diesel vehicles till 6 January and after that small vehicles can be registered. The apex court’s directive is strong on big cars and SUVs, while there’s relief to smaller versions. There should be a ban on all kind of diesel vehicles as they cause serious pollution. All diesel cars should be banned. However, Delhi is a big market for SUVs and diesel car manufacturers.” [caption id=“attachment_2536050” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Citing studies, he said SUVs and diesel cars above 2000 cc cause very high toxic emissions because these vehicles consume large quantity of diesel. “If there’s a substantial improvement in air quality the ban can be made permanent. However, the chances of car manufacturers resisting this initiative are there. They are not a reliable partner in such initiatives,” added Agarwal. Last week, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), in an interim order, banned registration of diesel vehicles in Delhi till 6 January, while also suggesting that the Central and Delhi governments must stop buying diesel cars for use in the city. Diesel-driven vehicles account for over 90 per cent of SUVs in India, 34 per cent of small cars and 70 per cent of large/medium cars. An assessment of air pollution by the Central Pollution Control Board found that air in Delhi was below the desired quality standards on 93 per cent of the days. “It’s a good move. Many countries have initiated such a move. It needs to be seen what difference this ban brings to Delhi’s pollution level and then a proper strategy can be taken up on a permanent basis. In Delhi everyday 1400-1500 new cars get registered. But, simultaneously, there is a need for a study to see the emissions in different kinds of vehicles, models, engine capacity etc,” remarked Anuradha Shukla, chief scientist, Central Road Research Institute (CRRI). What Supreme Court said: • Three-month ban on registration of diesel cars/SUVs which have more than 2,000 cylinder capacity. • Ban on the entry of trucks and diesel vehicles, which are more than ten years old in Delhi. • 100 per cent hike in the green cess levied on commercial vehicles entering Delhi (from Rs 700 to Rs 1400 for light commercial vehicles and from Rs 1300 to Rs 2600 for heavy commercial vehicles). • All taxis including Ola, Uber and such services shall use CNG with immediate effect. • Air Pollution Control Commission to take stock of pollution levels in the city immediately and monitor it subsequently to verify the impact of the court’s orders. The apex court bench has also asked the central and Delhi governments’ counsels to come out with comprehensive long-term and short-term plans to tackle the air pollution menace in Delhi. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an environment research organisation, said the SC verdict shows that the pollution issue needs to be taken up seriously. According to a study released by CSE, air pollution claims at least 10,000 to 30,000 lives a year in Delhi. On the Supreme Court’s order, Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, CSE, observed, “The SC’s order is more about establishing the principle. It said ‘it’s not fair for the rich to buy luxury cars and pollute Delhi and the drive to clean the environment should begin from rich and affluent who can afford to contribute more towards the environment than the common man’. It’s a commendable step taken by the apex court. This will also ensure people not to buy any such car that causes air pollution. The best part of the SC’s order this time is that it has considered the entire NCR and also come out strongly on other pollutants like burning of garbage, etc.” What after three months? “There will be a review of the effect of ban after March 2016. In the next hearing in the first week of January, 2016, issues like advancement in emission standards, power plant pollution and public transportation strategy will be looked into. Diesel cars of smaller versions are a big concern and it’ll be on the forthcoming agenda,” added Roy Chowdhury. CRRI’s Shukla added, “There’s a need for a planned integrated approach that would cover other pollution causing factors like wastages from construction work, domestic fuel, garbage, dust, etc, besides pollution due to vehicles.”