Karnal to ban 1.6 lakh petrol, diesel vehicles

KARNAL: Nearly 1.60 lakh petrol and diesel vehicles which are older than 15 years and 10 years, respectively,will be impounded in the Karnal district, which is a part of National Capital Region (NCR) and further sent for dismantling from December 1, 2018.

The state Transport Department is implementing the measure in the NCR in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court dated October 29, 2018, and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) dated April 7, 2015. Both had ordered the state government to cancel the registration and stop the plying of all diesel and petrol-powered vehicles that have crossed a decade and 15 years, respectively, in the wake of the increasing pollution level in the NCR. The Regional Transport Authority (RTA) will act as the enforcing agency.

Nishant Kumar Yadav, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC)-cum-Secretary RTA said, “We have received directions from the Additional Chief Secretary, Transport Department, in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court and the NGT. We will start a special campaign and any diesel and petrol vehicle, which had crossed the shelf life, found plying in the district will be impounded immediately.”

He added that after impounding the vehicles would be sent to scrap dealers for dismantling and the amount would be given to the owners of the vehicles.

Yadav said that there were around 10,000 heavy diesel vehicles, 1.20 lakh private petrol vehicles, including two-wheelers, and 30,000 private diesel vehicles, including cars, that have crossed the stipulated ages.

Yadav said that the hologram-based coloured stickers would be pasted on the windshields of the new vehicles registered in the district to indicate the nature of fuel being used. The light blue coloured sticker would indicate petrol and CNG vehicles, orange diesel vehicles while grey stickers would mean all other vehicles.