In no mood to accept lackadaisical measures by government agencies, to combat rising pollution, the National Green Tribunal on Thursday asked authorities to consider hike in parking fee, vehicle registration fee and congestion charges.
While passing an order on a petition filed by advocate Vardhaman Kaushik, the tribunal directed the government to decongest Lajpat Nagar and Karol Bagh as a pilot project to curb pollution.
“Studies have shown that air pollution in city is dangerous to human health… In order to curb vehicular pollution, we direct that the authorities concerned to consider higher parking fees, registration fees as well as congestion charges before next date of hearing,” the Bench said. After stressing that traffic congestion and haphazard parking lead to vehicles keeping their engines running, the NGT Bench headed by its chairperson Swatanter Kumar has now specifically asked the government and transport department to start decongesting the city.
The Tribunal, on Thursday preponed hearing of the plea filed by Mr. Kaushik , considering the alarming level of pollution in the city.
Mr. Kaushik said the NGT has also suggested that green cover in Delhi be increased to 33 per cent. States like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan have also been directed to ensure that vehicles from their States, which are older then 15 years do not enter Delhi.
The Bench reiterated that the government must devise ways and infrastructure for easy movement of traffic. “It would be ensured that public transport shall be made more user-friendly. DTC is directed to improve time-table of buses so that there is less congestion on roads. It shall also ensure that every bus operating under it is subjected to mechanical check up every month and pollution under control (PUC) certificate twice a month,” the Bench said.
Vineet, a trader in Karol Bagh, said it was a welcome order as congestion is a big issue in the area as movement in the area consumes both time and fuel. Meanwhile, Gargi, a frequent shopper at Lajpat Nagar said, “The area is a shopping hub, but it is full of hassles. It is high time that government decongests it.”
