Air Quality in India’s capital is at a severe level and the Environmental Pollution Control Agency has proposed to ban all non-CNG vehicles (both private and commercial) from entering the city, in order to curb the bad air conditions.
CNG vehicles are both readily identifiable through their sticker, and have clean operation, so the measure could be readily applied. In this way EPCA believes that it could restrict the use of diesel fuelled vehicles, which cause the biggest pollution without affecting the transport of passengers and goods, due to the fact that they understand that the Capital’s public transport system is powered by CNG.
The comments came amid deteriorating air quality in the national capital which is battling alarming levels of pollution due to local emissions land regional factors.
Presently, Delhi’s air quality is oscillating between very poor and severe category.
“EPCA believes that in the scenario that weather remains adverse and that the current situation of air quality remains in the same category or deteriorates, there is no other option but to direct for a complete stop on the use of private and commercial vehicles other than those plying on CNG,” a statement issued by the Supreme Court-appointed body said.
The Capital has about 10.8 million registered vehicles — 3.5 million four-wheelers and 7.3 million two-wheelers — which serve as the lifeblood of a city that is not adequately serviced by mass public transport despite a growing Metro system. Of these vehicles, about 800,000 run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).