The ongoing one-month-long crackdown on polluting vehicles in the Capital will not make a dent in the problem, an independent transport body said on Friday.
The Delhi High Court had ordered the government to start an anti-pollution drive from Thursday by checking vehicles for valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. The Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training said though the High Court’s move was welcome, the drive should not end after just one month.
“A total of 30 to 40 per cent of vehicles in Delhi do not have PUC certificates. So one month is not enough to catch all of them. It is an all-year, 24/7 job,” said S.P. Singh, senior fellow and coordinator of the foundation.
Mr. Singh added that the drive was just to “generate revenue” and not really meant to curb vehicular pollution.
“This means that the Government is giving the license to pollute for the rest of the 11 months,” he explained.
According to the foundation, weak enforcement has added to the problem. “If the police can stop people for not wearing seat belts, why can’t they also check for PUC certificates? There is no accountability for the enforcement authorities,” said Mr. Singh.
Apart from vehicles not compliant with emission norms, lakhs of commercial vehicles in Delhi are operating overloaded. “This adds to their emissions and is a burden on the roads,” said Mr. Singh.
The Foundation said if the Environment Department’s drive is to make a difference it must be continued on a 24/7 basis throughout the year.
