All non-CNG vehicles to be banned in Delhi as the air quality worsens

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NEW DELHI: Bhure Lal, chief of Environment Pollution (Prevention& Control) Authority (EPCA) wrote to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) member secretary, Prashant Gargav on November 14, that the only option to control the air pollution in Delhi is to implement a ban on all non-CNG vehicles or implementation of odd-even system.

In his letter, Lal said that vehicles contribute to about 40 per cent of the total emission load in Delhi and about 30 per cent in the NCR. “Even after removing trucks and other diesel commercial vehicles, which are the highest segment of this pollution load, the remaining vehicles add up to substantial load, particularly private diesel vehicles which contribute substantially to both NOx and PM emissions,” stated the letter.

Earlier, on November 12 Lal wrote to Delhi government and the pollution control body saying that if pollution continues to rise there is “no other option but to direct a complete stop on the use of private and commercial vehicles other than those plying on CNG”.