Declaring that controlling Delhi’s pollution had become the “requirement of the day”, the Supreme Court agreed to formalise in a judicial order a series of directions to impose “environment compensation charge” on all light and heavy duty commercial vehicles entering the National Capital.
A three-judge bench led by the Chief Justice of India, in a special sitting on Friday, said the formal order imposing the pollution charge would be passed on Monday.
It directed the Delhi government to issue a separate notification in this regard based on the Supreme Court.
The pollution charge would be collected from all 127 entry points into Delhi. The court said the “deterrent” mechanism was an experiment for two months and was subject to any modification after four months.
The court directed the neighbouring State governments of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to fall in line and the respective Chief Secretaries to co-ordinate with the Delhi government.
The Supreme Court’s order on Monday would supersede all past order on the issue, including a recent one by the National Green Tribunal, imposing additional tax on polluting trucks entering Delhi.
