NGT: Won’t extend diesel vehicle ban to other cities

New Delhi, May 31

The National Green Tribunal today said there was no plan to extend the ban on diesel vehicles prevailing in the national capital and Kerala to other cities across the country.

The clarification came from the green panel which said that as of now it was not planning to extend such ban and it would first examine the data received from different states on pollution levels in various cities. The tribunal also directed all the concerned secretaries of all states to submit an affidavit within three weeks stating two most polluted cities within their territory, total population and vehicle density in each district.

“We are not banning any vehicles. We have asked state governments to submit a report on the pollution levels in various cities. Let that data come and then we will hear different parties and decide accordingly,” a Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The observation came after Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for Ministry of Heavy Industries, asked the bench not to extend to other cities the ban on registration of vehicles beyond 2000 cc.

The ASG said about eight per cent FDI under “Make in India” has come from the automobile industry, which generates employment opportunities and any restriction on it would have an adverse effect on the momentum of its growth.

Advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for the Society of Indian Automobile Manufactures, opposed the idea of extending diesel ban to other metros and said diesel was not the only source of pollution. “Dust and burning also contribute to air pollution,” he said.

To this the Bench said: “In any case we have already said there are primarily three sources of pollution, burning of waste and other materials, dust emission from other sources and vehicular pollution. That is why we want every state to react.”

The tribunal had earlier taken state governments to task for not taking a clear stand on pollution and vehicle density in major cities in their jurisdiction and directed them to produce the information failing which bailable warrants will be issued against chief secretaries. The panel had directed Maharashtra, UP, Bihar, TN, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Karnataka to apprise it about cities which have worst ambient air quality, total number of vehicles and their bifurcation and the total population in each city. — PTI