Green cess delivers the goods in three months

New Delhi: There has been a drastic fall in the number of trucks entering the city after the imposition of the green tax, the Supreme Court was informed on Thursday. According to documents submitted by the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) to the apex court, around 9,000 vehicles enter Delhi after paying the mandatory environment compensation charge (ECC) every day.The figure used to be somewhere between 22,000 and 38,500 earlier. EPCA, a Supreme Court-mandated body to see the implementation of anti-pollution measures in NCR, said there was a decline of about 80% in the number of Delhi-bound trucks after ECC came into effect. It also submitted that around Rs 152 crore was collected as green tax till February 12, which will be used in improving public transport and roads in the city. EPCA has asked the Delhi government to submit a fund utilisation plan.
EPCA also pointed out that pollution peak episodes had reduced significantly after ECC was doubled by the apex court in December last year. Its report contains a graph that shows that the PM 2.5 peaks have fallen from 400-500 micrograms per cubic metres to 200-150 micrograms per cubic metres by March-end. There has been a steady decline in the pollution level in the past three months. There was no clear trend in the same period last year though.
EPCA made this analysis on the basis of daily PM 2.5 average concentration at four stations under Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). “The data shows that actions taken by SC is making a difference. It also suggests that levels of pollution are still high and require more enforcement and steps to combat the deadly health scourge,” the EPCA note said.
It further said that the Haryana government had set up 13 check posts and was diverting around 6,300 vehicles to alternative routes every day. Between January 21 and March 28, Haryana diverted more than four lakh vehicles every day. UP prevented 2,831 trucks from entering Delhi in the same period.
EPCA submitted a detailed compliance report on various directions SC had issued on December 16. It said Haryana had registered 806 CNG taxis while UP had registered 680 CNG cabs after the order. The Delhi transport department informed EPCA that it had issued national taxi permits to 29,358 diesel cabs. These taxis will give an undertaking that they will pick up and drop passengers outside NCR. Ola and Uber have given written undertakings to EPCA that they will switch to CNG.
Experts said the SC order had provided a major boost to the anti-pollution drive. Said Anumita Roy Chowdhury of Centre for Science and Environment: “SC has really reduced the public health risk arising out of diesel emissions. The trucks are paying ECC under the ‘polluter pays’ principle. This benefit shouldn’t be undermined by owners of luxury cars. They have to come under the ‘polluter pay’ principle too.”