Phase out diesel vehicles within six months, NGT tells CONCOR

Directs depot to adopt policy to shift to electric, CNG modes

Trucks wait outside the Inland Container Depot in Tughlaqabad, India, on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009. The worst global recession since the Great Depression has slashed demand for Indian exports such as gems and jewelry and textiles resulting in thousands of job losses across the nation. About 500,000 Indians have lost jobs, according to a government survey conducted between October and December last year. Photographer: Pankaj Nangia/Bloomberg 
 

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) to phase out diesel vehicles, used for transportation by the Inland Container Depot (ICD) Tughlakabad, within six months.

A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the depot to adopt a policy to shift to electric, hybrid and CNG modes and ensure that diesel vehicles are gradually phased out.

Noting that the depot handles approximately 3 lakh containers every year, the Bench said, “The depot has not furnished the requisite action plan. Only contention put forward is that it is not the responsibility of the depot to control the diesel vehicles and the cargo trucks visiting the depot.”

Dismiss contentions

Dismissing the contentions put forth, the Bench said, “It is the business of the depot in connection with which the diesel vehicles are visiting. The depot has to adopt a policy of ensuring that, in a phased manner, diesel vehicles stop visiting the depot and they shift to electric, hybrid and CNG vehicles.”

“This is expected to be achieved in a phased manner, if not straightaway, within an upper limit of six months. Such an action plan may be filed by the depot within one month. It is made clear that after six months, the depot must ensure that no diesel vehicle visits the depot which may be the condition to permit the depot to continue to operate from the present location,” the Bench said.

Satellite terminals

Further, the green panel said that limiting the diesel vehicles to satellite terminals at Dadri, Rewari, Ballabhgarh and other such terminals, can also be considered to ensure that non-Delhi-bound vehicles are diverted to ensure reduction in congestion and pollution.

The instructions came when the tribunal was hearing a plea moved by Ajay Khera seeking directions to relocate the ICD from Tughlakabad to curb pollution.

Advocate Sanjay Upadhyay, appearing for the petitioner argued that operations resulting from non-Delhi-bound containers also resulted in a spike in air pollution in the Capital.