Learn from China: NGT to Centre on curbing vehicular pollution

The Economic Times , Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Correspondent : PTI
NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal today asked Centre to learn from China in curbing vehicular pollution in the Delhi-NCR, as it extended till July 13 the stay on its order banning plying of over 10-year-old diesel motor vehicles.

"Why can't you learn from China? Have you gone through the reports how vehicular pollution is controlled in Shanghai city of China," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The observation came when Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand cited a report prepared by IIT-Delhi saying that up to 67 percent of total Particulate Matter at 2.5 emissions from road transport was contributed by goods traffic (heavy and light duty commercial vehicles) alone, even though their share in total vehicular fleet in Delhi was only 4 per cent.

The bench then wanted to know what could be done to check this 67 per cent emission, with the ASG suggesting that long term measures should be adopted as short term measures would not suffice.

She submitted that age of the vehicle may not be the only criteria for curbing pollution and suggested that the Centre was also thinking about a single fuel policy.

The IIT, Delhi report said that Delhi was among the top 10 cities with worst particulate matter pollution, as per World Health Organization(WHO) estimates for 2014.

The green panel has now listed the matter for final hearing on July 13 while asking the Centre and Delhi government to file their replies within three weeks on the reasons for non-compliance of its earlier order.

"Government of India, NCT Delhi both will file their reply as why NGT should not pass an appropriate order for non- compliance of its order withing three weeks. All interim orders will continue," the bench said.

The bench also asked the Central Pollution Control Board to file additional data in support of its report regarding pollution in the national capital region (NCR).

The report said that the annual average for PM 2.5 concentrations from 2012 through 2014 for three stations - RK Puram, Mandir Marg and Punjabi Bagh was 150 g/m3, which was approximately four times the national ambient standard and 15 times the WHO standards.

"In total, 27 percent of the total PM2.5 emissions from transport sector is contributed by vehicles older than 10 years. Five per cent of the total PM2.5 emissions from transport is contributed from goods vehicles older than 15 years, and one percent from cars older than 15 years which is just six percent," the report said.

It said 14 per cent of the total PM2.5 emissions from transport is contributed from goods vehicles older than 10 years, and 10 percent from cars older than 10 years.

The report said that shares of PM2.5 emissions from transport sectors in Delhi for year 2014 are - two wheelers- eight percent, cars and taxis-19 percent, three-wheeled auto rickshaws-one per cent, buses - five percent, heavy duty commercial vehicles-38 percent and light duty commercial vehicles-29 percent.

It said that these estimates include the trucks which bypass Delhi and have no stoppage within the city.

"This means that if we ban the movement of all the vehicles older than 10 years, the reduction in the PM2.5 level in Delhi will be from 150 g/m3 to 143 g/m3 and if we ban the movement of all vehicles older than 15 years, the reduction in the PM2.5 pollution level in Delhi will be down from 150 g/m3 to 148 g/m3," the report said.

The green panel had on May 18 pulled up the Centre for seeking stay of its ban order on the ground that the IIT-Delhi study had contended that vehicles above 10 years were responsible for a "negligible" amount of the air pollution.

 
SOURCE : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/learn-from-china-ngt-to-centre-on-curbing-vehicular-pollution/articleshow/47420514.cms?prtpage=1
 


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