NGT tells states to identify ‘no-pollution’ zones for deregistered Delhi diesel cars

The tribunal had last year ordered the Delhi government to cancel the registration of all diesel-powered vehicles over 10 years old and barred them from running in the Capital.

The National Green Tribunal on Friday asked all states and Union Territories to identify and inform it about “no-pollution” zones in their areas where deregistered diesel cars banned in the National Capital Region can run.

The tribunal had last year ordered the Delhi government to cancel the registration of all diesel-powered vehicles over 10 years old and barred them from running in the Capital.

“Have you identified no-pollution zones in states so that we can send old diesel vehicles to such areas? The states were directed to identify areas where the dispersion of the air is higher and vehicular density is the least.

“We have been asking you time and again about the report. Why don’t you submit it? Do it expeditiously,” a bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar said.

The tribunal had last year ordered the Delhi government to cancel the registration of all diesel-powered vehicles over 10 years old and barred them from running in the Capital. It had ordered that only de-registered diesel vehicles less than 15 years old can get a no-objection certificate (NoC) and run in select areas outside Delhi-NCR. These areas were to be demarcated by states where vehicle density is less.

“However, the authorities will issue NOC for such vehicles to be registered outside the Delhi-NCR. We clarify that in terms of the orders of the tribunal, every state has to identify areas where the dispersion of the air is higher and vehicular density is least..and put them on the respective websites,” it had said, adding that the Delhi RTO will issue NOCs for transfer of these vehicles only for such areas identified by the states.

The bench on Friday also asked the Delhi government to not stop plying of destination buses in the city.

“Government should do everything to make people aware of these buses,” the bench said.

The destination bus project launched by the Delhi government from May 1 on the directions of the green court is an attempt to decongest Delhi by giving office goers a cheaper and an easy alternative to using their private cars. However, it has failed to evoke public enthusiasm with very low ridership being reported from these buses.