NGT questions mechanism of checking emissions from vehicles

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal has objected to the Centre's submission that fitness and not age be the sole criterion in phasing out old vehicles and raised questions over the existing system of issuing pollution under control (PUC) certificates.

"What are you going to do about mechanism of checking emissions and PUC norms for the existing vehicles. There are reports which suggest that you need to change the PUC norms. Your departments don't have equipment to check all pollution norms. Moreover, you are testing vehicles only for two parameters - opacity of smoke and carbon dioxide emissions," a bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The observation came while Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand, appearing for Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, submitted before the bench that as per available reports, including four IIT reports, there are only 7 per cent vehicles over 10 years and their total impact on pollution is one per cent.

To this the tribunal asked, "How have they prepared report? You can't even measure the emissions of a running vehicle. Show us one report which takes into consideration all eight parameters for checking emissions. This is the seriousness of your report."

Submitting a note on the steps taken by the ministry regarding diesel vehicles, ASG said, "No fruitful purpose would be served by banning over 10 year old vehicles."

"At present the Ministry does not propose to mandate age limit of private vehicles because this is a short cut approach and fitness testing of the vehicles will prove whether the vehicles has reached its end of life or not.

"However, the transport vehicle (as defined in Motor Vehicles Act) have been allowed to register in certain categories for a limited time only as they maximise the distance travelled to recover the cost," the note said.

The Ministry does not propose to mandate age limit of private vehicles because this is a short cut approach and fitness testing of the vehicles will prove whether the vehicles has reached its end of life or not.

The ASG further said that department of heavy industries is also working towards creation of dismantling centres where unfit vehicles can be scrapped in a controlled manner.

The ASG also said that the government is formulating a policy to determine "end of life" of vehicles and initially it will cover passenger cars, two-wheelers and three-wheelers, which make up the majority of vehicles, and will subsequently be notified under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules.

She told the bench that the Ministry also intends to replace Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 by a New Act and was in the process to finalise "The Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2015".

"Under the new bill the central government proposes to establish a National Authority to be known as the National Road Safety and Traffic Regulation Authority to exercise the powers conferred on, and to perform the functions assigned to, it under this Act," the note added.

Earlier, the tribunal had refused to modify its order banning plying of diesel vehicles, which were over 10 years old in Delhi-NCR, and said it was for the Delhi government and the authorities concerned to decide on the issue of challaning such vehicles or not.