India activists back ‘pollution tax’

A day after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed an additional tax burden on polluting trucks entering the capital, both the Centre and the Delhi government, during a hearing in the Supreme Court, supported a plea for a crackdown on such trucks.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India HL Dattu and Justices Arun Misra and Adarsh Goel agreed to let the Delhi government and the Union government to impose the cess on an experimental basis for four months.

The fees collected should be handed over to the Delhi government for augmenting public transport system and improving roads, particularly for most vulnerable users, namely cyclists and pedestrians. While considerable debate and long-term measures are being discussed by the slow moving state machinery for implementation of measures to control pollution levels in Delhi, this Hon’ble Court is duty bound under Article 32 to take interim steps in effectuating the people’s right to clean, healthy and breathable air under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

However, if was clarified that commercial vehicles carrying essential commodities, food stuff and passengers and emergency vehicles, including ambulances, would be exempted from the environment cess.

The court had sought the response on an application by Salve seeking to levy the charge of not less than Rs. 600 on light and medium trucks and Rs.1,200 on heavy trucks and commercial vehicles.

It directed the Delhi government to issue a separate notification in this regard based on the Supreme Court.

“The Supreme Court should pass orders as somebody may go to a high court and get a stay on the order of the NGT after raising issues of jurisdiction of the green tribunal”. It is said earlier than us that low toll tax is an incentive for heavy automobiles to move by way of Delhi quite than taking alternate route which can scale back air pollution…

A four-mile stretch of congested, smog-filled roadways in New Delhi will soon look vastly different as the government prepares to ban cars from the city streets-but only for a few hours.

Numerous trucks drive through the capital to avoid paying tolls outside the city.

Delhi’s Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said thousands of diesel trucks pouring into the city every night account for almost one third of the area’s total pollution levels. This facility should be installed in nine main entry points which sees 75% commercial traffic by November 2015.

Delhi Government claimed that to implement this decision, it required cooperation from Haryana and UP governments.