Hyderabad: Vehicle recycling yet to take off

Hyderabad: Air pollution is a matter of grave concern in Hyderabad and other cities in the country but no solution exists for one important source of pollution — vehicles manufactured prior to implementation of the emission control norms in 2000. However, ‘recycling’ of such vehicles is one way to go which is not just environment-friendly but also helps in salvaging valuable steel and aluminium.

The Central Pollution Control Board has come out with guidelines on how to go ahead with recycling of End of Life Vehicles. Unfortunately, these are just guidelines which are not of much use as many roadblocks still exist.

The hurdles to ensuring recycling of old vehicles range from lack of any regulation that prohibits ELVs from plying on roads to the lack of a buy-back policy so that owners of old vehicles can be motivated to sell their vehicle to recyclers for a satisfactory price. An amendment in the Motor Vehicle Act is also required because as per current rules, if an ELV is located outside the jurisdiction of the registered RTO, the ELV will have to be transported back for de-registration to its origin RTO, which not just discourages the owner from recycling it but also causes delays.

There are around eight lakh such old vehicles operating in Hyderabad. As per CPCB estimates there are 87 lakh such vehicles across country and the figure is expected to grow to 2.2 crores till 2025. Capt N.S. Mohan Ram, Chairman of the recycling group constituted by the Society of Indian Automobile Manu-facturers, says: “The CPCB rules are vague. Strong regulations are required to ensure that the informal units involved in scrapping of vehicles, which use crude methods harmful for the environment, are brought under the organized sector.”

He adds: “State governments should develop recycling parks or estates for old vehicles outside the cities where infrastructure such as equipment required for depollution of vehicles and buildings with impervious floors surrounded by moats are provided.

“Those involved in informal scrapping units can be allowed to set up centers here as per the standards developed by the Automotive Research Association of India along with providing training for staff.”