The news is that diesel vehicles older than 10-years are to be banned in Delhi, NCR – region:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/ngt-bans-over-10-year-old-diesel-vehicles-in-delhi/article7077509.ece
A thing or two about the NGT – The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is currently being chaired by Justice Swatanter Kr. The sole purpose this tribunal is to provide speedy resolution of environmental issues. The tragedy though is most members of this tribunal (both Judicial and Expert) are formed mostly of retired bureaucrats. Those of us living in India are keenly aware of the dysfunctional nature of “bureaucrats” and the “babus”. Most of them, as we are given to understand, are busy either greasing their own palms, or licking the top, or kicking and exploiting the bottom,….
Personally, I would prefer the tribunal have members from varying specialties – academicians who are experts in the field of environment; researchers and industrialists who understand the nature of pollution; economists who have the ability to elucidate the economic consequences of various actions; social activists who truly and selflessly care for social causes; auto enthusiasts and auto experts who understand the in’s-and-out’s of auto maintenance and their pollution capabilities; and of course we would need some from the legal/judicial department as well (but certainly not some washed up’s that are just killing some retired time!).
I am all for envt. protection, and safety of our air, water, and earth. But I would like to see laws drafted and implemented in ways that it really helps. While we should certainly be taking appropriate corrective and therapeutic measures, idea should not be to stop a leak in one place at the expense of another. We shouldn’t be putting band-aids when immediate operation is called for. This where the experts (real ones, that is, and not the bureaucratic hogwash) make their real contribution in meaningful ways.
Some of the concerns –
1) Non-polluting diesels and polluting petrols: What of those very well maintained (but old) diesel vehicles vis-a-vis horrendously maintained petrol ones where the petrol guy might be pollution so much more? Yes, I have seen such cases.
2) Road-Tax Economics: What happens to that lifetime road tax that people have paid? After 10-years it suddenly all gets void for the owner? A possible solution would be the government reimburse the owners of the vehicles that are being let-off or alternately give them the equivalent discounts on the newer vehicles. And, for the newer vehicles being purchased, the road tax should be collected only for that 10- or 15-years. NOT MORE.
3) Resale and Flooding of Neighboring States/Cities: A direct consequence of this act would be that most owners will be forced to sell their vehicles for dirt cheap only for the folks from neighboring states/cities to gobble them up and continue polluting at their places – you see, one leak got fixed and another just sprung! Does the NGT have no responsibility towards other parts of the country?
4) Diesel Generators: If you think about it rationally, the diesel generators are bigger culprits than the cars. Source of the problem – incompetent government. If people had reliable power supply to homes and offices, there wouldn’t be any need to resort to noisy and polluting generators to such an extent. How is it that parts of cities where ministers and bureaucrats live, there’s no issue with water, electricity, poor-roads etc.? Why is the common man besieged with all these basic challenges but the “babus” are immune?
5) Poor Roads Leads to Further Pollution: Most vehicles in India are in bad shape and have lower fuel efficiency than they are capable – blame poor roads and failing infrastructure? If one has break every so often to avoid a pothole or fro the unscientific speed-breakers, you are bound to be burning more fuel for same distance of travel. Another case of government-builder-contractor nexus of corruption at the expense of the tax-payer.
6) Yellow Boards and Heavy Vehicles: Highest offending among all are the heavy vehicles – buses, trucks, tractors, those poorly maintained municipal vehicles and many of the yellow boards (autos, cabs,…) and then there are those mini-trucks and some that have that rickets-stricken-looking vehicles. There should certainly be strong policies on them.
What then, if any, is the recourse? One possible solution lies in learning from medical centers emergency rooms. We know the situation is critical. We know it needs both a short-term and a long-terms solution. we know it needs immediate cure and subsequent preventive care. First things done in the ER is to check and restore the normal vitals – BP. Pulse, Heart Rate etc. To do that, heavy medicines and shock treatments can used as well.
In the same spirit, recognizing the poor air-health of most of the cities (Delhi is not alone), the immediate things to do might include –
1) Stringent pollution checks and phasing out of vehicles: Irrespective of whether it’s a diesel or a petrol, a common man or a VIP, a private or a state-owned – there must be stringent check on pollution certification. At the moment, we can all easily buy healthy certifications for a small price. All loopholes here need to be blocked. Any one guilty of fraud should be punished and licenses of the those centres revoked. Vehicles that fail the pollution check must undergo screening – ones that can be saved by proper service and care, and others that are beyond salvation be processed for recycling. Vehicles that have been identified for service and care must be fined and be made to go through frequent pollution checks – once a month, possibly.
2) Quality of Roads and Infrastructure: It should be made public the names of those responsible for the upkeep of our roads and infrastructure [mob justice, anyone? This is the only fear that’ll work with bureaucrats]. They should be held accountable and should be questioned when there’s a lapse. Like how there is jury-duty in the US, India should adopt something similar so there is policing done by the public as well.
3) Quality of Fuel: There should be no adulteration of fuel. Any pump station found guilty should be punished/penalized and possibly license revoked.