The National Green Tribunal today sought response from the Haryana government on a plea seeking restriction on commercial vehicles transiting through Gurgaon as they contribute to high air pollution levels in the city.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notice to the Haryana government, Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon and Haryana State Pollution Control Board while seeking their reply by November 20.
The direction came while hearing a plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar who has contended that air pollution in Gurgaon has increased to extremely high levels and it is further aggravated by commercial vehicles originating in Delhi and transiting through Gurgaon for destinations other than Gurgaon.
Referring to a recent Supreme Court order which imposed an ‘Environment Compensation Charge’ (ECC) on commercial vehicles entering Delhi, Gurgaon resident Kumar has sought levying of charges on commercial vehicles entering Gurgaon but going elsewhere.
“National Highways Authority of India has undertaken the Kundli Manesar Palwal Expressway project to create a highway which would by-pass not only Gurgaon but also New Delhi.
“However, at this stage, the said expressway is not operational and therefore all commercial traffic not intended for Gurgaon continues to transit through the city of Gurgaon causing severe air pollution in the city,” Kumar said in his plea.
It said that “countries in the European Union have already implemented Euro 6 standards whereas our country was still striving to implement Bharat Stage 4 (equivalent to Euro 4) emission standards”.
It sought a direction to the “respondents to immediately take steps to prevent and/or restrict commercial heavy and light vehicles which do not originate in Gurgaon and which are neither destined to Gurgaon, from transiting through the municipal area of the city of Gurgaon”.
( Source – PTI )
