SC and NGT must review pollution order

Delhi is now among the world’s most polluted cities and this is having an impact on the health of its residents, who make up one per cent of the country’s population. Other important cities and towns in India also appear to fare very poorly on the index of air quality. On an impressionistic basis, perhaps it is also fair to suggest that India as a country appears to have a less pleasing air and water quality than most others. And yet, all the action has zeroed in only on motor cars, with the top judiciary taking the lead. In an interim order in December 2015, the Supreme Court banned the registration of diesel cars of the capacity of 2000cc and above.

The order was to hold until March 31 this year but has not been rescinded. The National Green Tribunal sought to ban the plying of diesel vehicles in Delhi and the NCR region that were more than ten years old. In Kerala, the Kochi circuit of the NGT has chosen to apply the Delhi-NCR norms in the state. Other states have been urged by NGT to offer their views on cutting vehicular pollution. Every bit of this is clearly well-intentioned. But evidently, after a six month trial, the impact of the orders of the apex court and the NGT appear to have had limited impact on pollution and air quality in the national capital region.

It is therefore time for the top court to re-think its order, and call a proper experts’ forum to tender advice before shooting from the hip. It must be clearly understood that while diesel vehicles pollute three to five times more compared to a similar petrol vehicle, according to the Centre for Science and Environment, the total impact of total vehicular pollution is about 20 per cent of overall dust pollution, according to an IIT report cited by the Maruti-Suzuki chairman. Cars, including diesel ones, together make up some two per cent of this. Thus, much of the noise is around two per cent of the problem.

It is time the courts took a broader view of things and pressured the government in more meaningful ways to make the environment cleaner. All old cars — diesel or petrol — must pass a roadworthiness test. A 10-year rule (the banning of old diesel cars) is arbitrary. Given the march of technology, newer diesel vehicles may well be less polluting than older petrol ones, especially when not maintained well. Lately fear has been expressed in some quarters that India may lose out as an investment destination if the courts remain unmoved. While this may be exaggerated, the courts must genuinely attempt to be more effective — and creative.