NGT directs Inland Container Depot to phase out diesel vehicles

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Inland Container Depot at Tughlaqabad to phase out its diesel vehicles in the next six months and asked it to submit an action plan on the issues within a month, noting that the area was causing high air pollution. 

A bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, NGT Chairperson said that the depot has to adopt a policy to ensure that diesel vehicles are stopped from plying and were required to shift to electric, hybrid and CNG modes to control this problem.

The green panel noted that the depot handles about 3 lakh containers annualy, leading to huge road congestion and air and noise pollution, especially when the fuel used is diesel, apart from creating parking problems. The green panel also rapped the depot for not furnishing an action taken report on phasing out of diesel vehicles.

With regard to on site and off site emergency plan for the depot, the NGT was told that mock drills are to be carried out once in three months. The NGT said that this is not satisfactory and such mock drills must be carried out at least twice a month and a compliance affidavit may be filed within a month on this aspect. The NGT while hearing a petition filed by Ajay Khera, warehousing expert, claiming that the non-Delhi bound operation being done in the ICD /TK is currently contributing to alarming level of air pollution in the city and therefore it should be moved out of the capital.