HC seeks govt reply on plea for odd-even rule

The Times of India , Friday, January 29, 2016
Correspondent : Shibu Thomas
Mumbai: Expressing concern over the rising levels of pollution in Mumbai, the Bombay high court on Thursday sought to know how the odd-even pilot project had fared in Delhi.

A division bench of Justice V M Kanade and Justice RevatiDere directed the Maharashtra government, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, the state environment and road transport departments to respond to a petition filed by a city resident to implement the odd-even scheme for vehicles in Mumbai.

The court has given the authorities time till February 9 to file their affidavits, when it will next take up the matter for hearing.

Bandra resident Shadaab Patel had earlier this month filed a public interest litigation seeking measures to tackle air pollution in the city. Along with Patel's PIL, the court is also hearing PILs filed in the past decade, including one filed by the Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG), that had raised the issue of pollution.

Senior advocate Shiraz Rustomjee, counsel for BEAG, said that the odd-even rule was successfully implemented in Delhi and Mumbai, where the pollution levels had spiked recently, needed to take urgent preventive steps if it did not want the situation to worsen.

In his petition, Patel, who was represented by advocate Jayant Bardeskar, said that as of September 2015 there were over 26 lakh vehicles on city roads.

Of these, around 57 per cent are two wheelers, and 30.66 per cent cars. The PIL said this indicated that over 80 per cent vehicles were private. The petition said Mumbai citizens were facing health problems due to increasing air pollution, mainly caused by carbon monoxide emitted from vehicles and burning of solid waste by BMC in violation of rules.

The petitioner has urged the court to form a committee to suggest measures to tackle air pollution, order the state to frame rules for sale of vehicles using diesel engines and implement the odd-even rule for private vehicles entering city limits.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/HC-seeks-govt-reply-on-plea-for-odd-even-rule/articleshow/50762570.cms
 


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