Ban registration of diesel-run vehicles in neighbouring states too: Delhi Government

NEW DELHI: The ban on registration of diesel-run vehicles in the national capital can be "successfully tackled" if the measure is implemented in neighbouring states too, Delhi Government has said in its action plan submitted to the Supreme Court on air pollution reduction.

In its submission to the apex court, the government contended that diesel vehicles get registered by agencies in neighbouring states and hence, it was required the ban is extended there too.

"The issue of diesel vehicles can be successfully tackled if registration of all diesel vehicles is banned by all neighboring states too in addition to Delhi, otherwise, the problem will not be resolved as diesel vehicles get registered by these other state agencies," the government told the SC, according to a statement issued by it.

As part of its measures to bring down the air pollution level, the government also expressed its readiness to take over Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) collection from its Concessionaire, SMYR Consortium LLP, with effect from April 1, 2016 "on the same terms and conditions" between the said Concessionaire and MCD.

"It is also proposed that committee of representatives of the Government of India, Delhi Government, other stakeholders and experts be constituted and the constitution of EPCA be reviewed and reconstituted," the government said.

The plan was finalised in a meeting, which was attended among others by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and PWD Minister Satyendar Jain who is the nodal Minister to implement the government's action plan on air pollution reduction, held on Sunday.

Among other measures, the government informed to have taken decisions like implementing odd-even vehicles number formula for curbing pollution between January 1 and January 15, 2016 and based on the experience, further decisions will be taken.

The scheme will be implemented from 8 AM to 8 PM every day. However, Sundays will be exempted. In the existing nine clusters, 1000 new cluster buses will be added in three months, it said.

The government also informed to carry out vacuum cleaning of all PWD roads in the national capital beginning next fiscal at regular intervals.

To avoid dust rising from unpaved footpaths and central verges, the process of putting grass/ plantation on them will start from next month onwards, it added.

The government has also closed proposed to close down coal-based Rajghat and Badarpur power stations. It will also make appeal to NGT to close down Dadri power plant "which is very old and a major source of pollution" for Delhi, the Government has said.

The Kejriwal dispensation has also proposed to increase suitably the timings of Delhi Metro both in morning and at night.