Lakhs of vehicles flouting emission norms in Delhi: EPCA

NEW DELHI: Delhi, a global air-pollution hotspot, has lakhs of vehicles plying without the mandatory ' pollution under control' certificates while the city's emission testing centres are enormously understaffed, an EPCA audit has found. The blatant violations, that potentially imperil the health of millions, have put the spotlight on around 970 centres in the city, that are certified to check the emission content of around 70 lakh vehicles in the city. The audit report has been submitted to the Supreme Court.

EPCA ( Environmental Pollution -Prevention and Control) is an SC-appointed body. As per Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, every BS-III emissioncompliant motor vehicle needs to go for a pollution test every three months while BSIV vehicles have to take the test annually.

According to EPCA estimates, every quarter there should be be around 59 lakh PUC tests in Delhi, but "the period of November 2016 to January 2017 (3 months) shows tests of only 13.7 lakh vehicles", which works out to a compliance rate of 23.2 per cent. "A large number of vehicles in Delhi remain outside the PUC testing network," the report states.