Gurgaon: At a time when the Supreme Court order is forcing non-CNG cabs to go off Delhi and NCR roads, around 15,000 diesel autos continue to operate in Gurgaon. According to the apex court order, all taxis and autos running on diesel should have switched to CNG by March 31.
The regional transport authority (RTA) officials had said in December 2015 that they would ensure all non-CNG vehicles were taken off the city roads. The assurance came in the wake of the SC order. However, the authority has not taken any action against the diesel autos for flouting the court order.
Asked why they haven't switched to CNG yet, Dharam Singh of Samast Auto Rickshaw Welfare Association, said, "We have not received any orders from any authorities to take diesel autos off the roads yet. We were told that the order applies only to Delhi and not NCR."
Meanwhile, registration of new diesel autos is going on as usual in the city. There are allegations that RTA has failed to take action against diesel autos that don't undergo pollution check. Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) had written to RTA in December 2015, requesting it to take strict action against diesel autos. However, sources in the transport authority told TOI that the department has not started inspection yet. Though TOI made repeated attempts to reach out to him, regional transport officer Sushil Sarwan didn't respond to the phone calls and messages.
"The level of pollutants in the city, especially PM 10 and PM 2.5, is more than three times of WHO's prescribed limit. Diesel autos are a major sources of air pollution," said NiranjanRaje, a member of the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and a member of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA).
