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SC to mull ban on diesel cars in Delhi to tackle growing menace of pollution -Amit Anand Choudhary
-The Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday threw its weight behind efforts to clean up Delhi's air, agreeing to explore various options including banning diesel cars from the Capital's roads and stopping trucks from passing through the city to tackle the growing menace of pollution.

A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice R Banumathi expressed shock over the high pollution level in the city and directed the Centre and state government to bury their differences and prepare a mutually agreeable common minimum programme to tackle the crisis. The bench said pollution inside the court room had also gone up to 10 times the normal level.

The bench said it was time to dust off the old reports of the Bhure Lal committee, which suggested measures to curb pollution, and implement its recommendations. Referring to Delhi government's odd-even formula, the bench said this alone could not solve the problem and multi-pronged action was needed.

"There can't be a single solution of the problem. There has to be multi-pronged approach. All authorities including the Centre and state government should sit together along with environmental experts. There should be brainstorming session and they should come out with a solution," the bench said.

The order comes amid spiralling pollution and could nudge the authorities in the city and at the Centre to work out an anti-pollution scheme which has wider acceptability and which they would be constrained to enforce.

"We want you to suggest short-, medium- and long-term measures to handle the situation. You must tell us the permanent solution. This is a very serious issue. Delhi is earning a bad name for being termed the most polluted city in the world. It is embarrassing for us also when foreign dignitaries point out the deteriorating air quality of the capital," the bench said.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, who is assisting the court as amicus curie, told the bench that diesel vehicles should be banned or there should be limitation on registration of diesel cars in Delhi as they are more polluting. He said the government should dis-incentivize diesel cars by scrapping subsidies on diesel. He said pollution level inside the court room had doubled in the last year.

Agreeing with Salve's contention, the bench said it would examine banning of diesel cars if it could help in controlling pollution. "Definite action plan must be there for handling the situation. It will happen if you provide a platform for authorities, NGOs and experts to sit together and discuss the issue and prepare a common minimum acceptable plan to defuse the crisis. I don't think authorities are even discussing the issue," it said.

The bench said trucks should not be allowed to use Delhi roads as transit route for going to other states. "Why should trucks be allowed at all to pass through Delhi even after paying tax if it is not meant for Delhi?" it asked. The court had earlier imposed environment compensation charge on trucks passing through Delhi and heavy trucks were directed to pay Rs 1,300 and light commercial vehicles Rs 700, in addition to the toll for entering the city.

The bench directed the governments to come prepared with definite action plan on December 15 when it will explore various options to tackle the crisis.

Around 23% of commercial vehicles and 40-60% of heavy trucks entering Delhi are not destined for the capital. According to a study conducted by Centre for Science and Environment, commercial vehicles entering Delhi account for close to 30% of the total particulate load and 22% of the total nitrogen oxide load from the transport sector.