NGT order: Transport Min to meet UP, Haryana counterparts
10 April 2015 5:58 AM IST
Delhi’s Transport minister Gopal Rai on Thursday wrote letters to his counterparts in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for a meeting on Monday to finalise a ‘joint-action plan’ to implement the order of National Green Tribunal (NGT) banning entry of diesel vehicles older than 10 years in the city.
“We will go all out effort to improve the air quality in the city. As diesel vehicles entering Delhi come from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, thus, the role of neighbouring states is crucial to implement the order of NGT,” said Gopal Rai.
He further added that the transport department of Delhi government had reviewed the entire situation and sought suggestions from environment experts. “We have written to the Delhi Police to provide us additional force to implement the order and also to the Central government to amend the Motor Vehicle Act,” added Rai.
He also informed that the transport department had formed teams to implement the order and 30 old trucks were impounded in the intervening night between Wednesday and Thursday. Delhi has 23 entry points for commercial vehicles, out of which, eight main points - NH24, DND, Kalindi Kunj, Badarpur, NH-2, Loni Border, Dilshad Garden border and GT Karnal Road cater to the needs of over 60 per cent trucks coming or passing through Delhi.
The Transport minister also informed that there are only 164 personnel, who are insufficient to implement the order. “The transport department has also demanded 250 guards of civil defence to assist the enforcement teams,” he added. He further informed that the transport department has deployed teams at 11 entry points but are facing problems due to shortage of staff and absence of U-turns at almost all the entry points.
“We have learnt from experts that during daytime, the pollution level is normal as most vehicles are CNG-run but at night, it significantly increases as entry point for trucks of other states get opened,” the minister said.
Sources in the transport department, however, said that a decision to construct several U-turns may be taken in the next few days so that vehicles entering Delhi from other states, which are more than 10 years old, could be sent back by the officials. “Six to seven teams are deployed at different parts of the city every day and night. We are already facing staff crunch as there are 600 posts lying vacant for a long time. We cannot implement the green court’s order alone,” said a senior official requesting anonymity.
The official said that keeping this in mind, “we have written to the Delhi Traffic Police to launch a crackdown against such vehicles. The department’s officials said that there are 1, 18,776 diesel-run private vehicles and 34,659 commercial vehicles, which are more than 10 years old.
“We will go all out effort to improve the air quality in the city. As diesel vehicles entering Delhi come from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, thus, the role of neighbouring states is crucial to implement the order of NGT,” said Gopal Rai.
He further added that the transport department of Delhi government had reviewed the entire situation and sought suggestions from environment experts. “We have written to the Delhi Police to provide us additional force to implement the order and also to the Central government to amend the Motor Vehicle Act,” added Rai.
He also informed that the transport department had formed teams to implement the order and 30 old trucks were impounded in the intervening night between Wednesday and Thursday. Delhi has 23 entry points for commercial vehicles, out of which, eight main points - NH24, DND, Kalindi Kunj, Badarpur, NH-2, Loni Border, Dilshad Garden border and GT Karnal Road cater to the needs of over 60 per cent trucks coming or passing through Delhi.
The Transport minister also informed that there are only 164 personnel, who are insufficient to implement the order. “The transport department has also demanded 250 guards of civil defence to assist the enforcement teams,” he added. He further informed that the transport department has deployed teams at 11 entry points but are facing problems due to shortage of staff and absence of U-turns at almost all the entry points.
“We have learnt from experts that during daytime, the pollution level is normal as most vehicles are CNG-run but at night, it significantly increases as entry point for trucks of other states get opened,” the minister said.
Sources in the transport department, however, said that a decision to construct several U-turns may be taken in the next few days so that vehicles entering Delhi from other states, which are more than 10 years old, could be sent back by the officials. “Six to seven teams are deployed at different parts of the city every day and night. We are already facing staff crunch as there are 600 posts lying vacant for a long time. We cannot implement the green court’s order alone,” said a senior official requesting anonymity.
The official said that keeping this in mind, “we have written to the Delhi Traffic Police to launch a crackdown against such vehicles. The department’s officials said that there are 1, 18,776 diesel-run private vehicles and 34,659 commercial vehicles, which are more than 10 years old.
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