No option but to consider measures to restrict private vehicles in Delhi: EPCA chief

The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) on Wednesday said that to control the increasing air pollution in the national capital restrictions have to be implemented on private vehicles.

In a letter to Centre Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Task Force, EPCA wrote that in the given situation, the only option is to look at either a complete ban on all private vehicles (without the identification of petrol or diesel), other than CNG and/or restriction on plying by number plate (odd-even).

It further said that the odd-even scheme, as practiced in other cities for similar pollution abatement, is done for extended hours and includes all private vehicles.

The EPCA pointed out that vehicles contribute as much as 40 per cent of the total emission load in Delhi and roughly 30 per cent in the region according to SAFAR emission inventory.

It added that even after removing trucks and other diesel commercial vehicles the remaining vehicles add up to substantial load, particularly private diesel vehicles which contribute substantially to both NOx and PM emissions.

The letter also added that though the Supreme Court had directed for vehicle sticker scheme, which would identify vehicles by fuel type/age, the scheme has still not been implemented by the government.

The EPCA also highlighted that out that for the last 12-13 days, based on the CPCB Task Force recommendations, EPCA had directed for the closure of all construction activity; all industrial activity (other than based on natural gas); all brick kilns, stone-crushers and hotmix plants.

It also said that in the days post-Diwali, the entry of trucks into Delhi was stopped. However, it highlighted that such measures could not have continued to impose these restrictions beyond the l2-I3 days.

The EPCA further wrote, "I am also aware that any restriction on plying of private vehicles, without adequate public transport creates huge inconvenience to people. It is for this reason that EPCA for the past many years has stressed the need for augmentation of public transport, not just in Delhi but in the NCR region. The Comprehensive Action Plan, which is now notified, but still nowhere close to implementation, includes time-bound action on public transport."

"The question then is if actions on these crucial measures like public transport are inadequate, should we also not include emergency measures to restrict private vehicles on the days when pollution episodes peak and in particular when there is a prolonged period of high air pollution?" added EPCA.