NGT asks states for diesel car report, directs secretaries to submit affidavits
New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal said on Tuesday that there was no plan to extend the ban on diesel vehicles prevailing in the national capital and Kerala to other cities. The panel said it would first examine the data received from different states on pollution levels in various cities.
The tribunal directed the secretaries of all states to submit affidavits within three weeks naming the two most polluted cities within their territory, total population and vehicle density in each district.
“We are not banning any vehicle. We have asked state governments to submit a report on the pollution levels in various cities. Let that data come... and (we will) decide accordingly,” a bench hea-ded by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.
The observation came after Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the ministry of heavy industries, asked the bench not to extend to other cities the ban on registration of vehicles beyond 2000cc. She said it was having an adverse effect on growth in the automobile sector.
Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, appearing for Society of Indian Autom-obile Manufactures, opp-osed the idea of extending the diesel ban to other metros and said diesel was not the only source of pollution.
The bench pointed out that it had listed burning of waste, dust emission from other sources and vehicular pollution. “Let that data come to us and then we will hear the matter in detail,” it said.
Green body sees red over AOL
The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday junked the Art of Living’s (AOL) plea seeking its nod to accept the environment compensation, slapped for damaging Yamuna’s biodiversity, as bank guarantee instead of “payment of balance amount” of Rs 4.75 crore.
The green panel also slapped a fine of '5,000 on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s AOL for filing such application which “lacks bonafide” and directed it to pay the remainder amount in one week.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar rapped the AOL foundation for not depositing the amount despite assurance granted to the tribunal.
The green panel on March 9 had refused to prohibit the three-days ‘World Culture Festival’, held by AOL between March 11 and 13, but slapped a fine of Rs 5 crore on the foundation for damaging biodiversity and aquatic life of Yamuna.
Later on March 11, Art of Living had moved a plea seeking four weeks time for depositing the amount after which the tribunal allowed the foundation to deposit Rs 25 lakh on that day and granted three weeks time period to pay the balance amount.
