Long overdue
14 Nov 2016 10:10 PM GMT
In a bid to tackle the air pollution menace, the Aam Aadmi Party government on Saturday asked the Delhi Police to launch a crackdown against diesel vehicles older than 15 years. The move comes after Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Tuesday told the police and municipal bodies to start de-registering diesel trucks older than 15 years to curb the severe levels of pollution in the Capital.Â
Reports indicate that approximately two lakh vehicles will be affected by the move. But the fundamental question is whether the Delhi Police and road transport authorities have the capacity to turn this into a reality. The lack of quality and experienced personnel on the ground and inadequate technology have stifled previous such attempts. Experts contend that the cocktail of a weak regulatory structure and lax enforcement of rules will continue to haunt Delhi’s bid to reduce pollution levels.Â
According to a recent study by IIT-Kanpur study, at least, a quarter of all cars on Delhi roads run on diesel. Their survey in different parts of Delhi has shown that diesel cars are responsible for 60 to 70 percent of PM2.5 emissions from the vehicles. Most of these vehicles do not adhere to the vehicular emission standards. In fact, a majority of these vehicles run on a mixture of kerosene and diesel to save money.
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