Trucks entering Delhi to pay environmental tax: NGT

“There is no incentive for anybody to pass through Delhi if goods (being carried) are not be dropped in Delhi”.

Known to the World Health Organization a year ago as having the worst air quality in the world, New Delhi is no stranger to attempts at putting a cap on air pollution. All categories of trucks and other commercial vehicles in the MCD’s database were counted, said CSE experts.

Acting robust to curb air pollution within the national capital, the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday directed all business automobiles entering Delhi to pay environmental compensation cost as well as to the toll tax. The green panel had ordered that the compensation would be payable at the rates of Rs 700 for two-axle vehicles, Rs 1,000 for three-axle and Rs 500 for four-axle and above. “It has become a constitutional imperative to recover these illegal savings (by the truckers), which are contrary to the mandate of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution and to use these for dealing with the outcome of pollution”, says Sunita Narain, Director General of Centre for Science and Environment who is a member of the SC-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority which submitted a report on the issue on Monday. The court will take up the matter afresh at 10:30 AM tomorrow after it gets the NGT order. The NGT has announced the Panipat-Bawal route but what about the eastern peripheral route? Will an unloaded vehicle be charged?

Dispelling the court’s apprehensions that imposing the charge at the entry points may result in traffic jams, Salve noted that the Delhi Municipal Corporation was already collecting the toll at the notified entry points.

Pollution levels in Indian cities have often been compared to China’s Beijing. Delhi has the among highest concentration of particulate matter in the country, they add.

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. Delhi Police’s counsel D Rajeshwar Rao said vehicles have been crossing Delhi rather than taking the alternate route to save toll tax as the five stops on the second route come under Haryana, which charges Rs. 930 at every toll, while Delhi charges Rs. 609.The Bench also said, “It is a conceded position before us that vehicular pollution is one of the main sources of inferior quality of air in Delhi…”