Fix emission levels for diesel locomotives: NGT to railways

New Delhi: In a bid to ensure that railway locomotives do not pollute the environment, National Green Tribunal has directed Environment Ministry and Ministry of Railways to fix emission standards for diesel locomotive engines in India.

"We direct Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to hold a meeting within two weeks where Central Pollution Control Board and Indian Railways would be represented. "They would deliberate and determine as to what standards have to be provided for emissions for diesel locomotive engines in India as well as indicate the steps that Indian Railways should take to bring the emissions within the prescribed parameters," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The green panel directed the railways to submit this report to the tribunal within six weeks and posted the matter for next hearing on February 9. During the hearing, the counsel for the railways submitted international standards for emissions from diesel locomotive railway engines and also filed a data sheet indicating the emissions from 30 railway engines. He told the bench that the parameters detected during testing were "much in excess to international standards".

In November last year, the green bench had directed Ministry of Railways to hold a meeting with IIT, CPCB and Ministry of Petroleum and asked them to collect data and set emission standards to ensure that no pollution is caused from the locomotive engines. The directions came while hearing a petition filed by Dwarka resident S K Goyal about harmful emissions from diesel locomotives.   

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