Diesel Blow: Experts Laud Green Move, Users Fume

Owners Say Notice Too Short, Deregister Unfit Vehicles First

- Kushagra Dixit

Welcoming the decisions to deregister diesel vehicles older than 10 years with an NOC and completely scrapping those older than 15 years, experts have said removing older vehicles from the city roads will reduce the toxic exposure.

Experts, however, also asserted that while the decision would help the national capital breathe a little better, the government must also provide lucrative scrapping options to the owners, who, though saw it coming, still had a fairly short window as the new year was less than three weeks away.

Road transport in Delhi accounts for the biggest contributor to the local particulate pollutants. According to the data available from the transport department, at least 2,64,721 registered diesel vehicles are over 10 years older.

“This is a good step to control toxic emissions from older vehicles. There had always been special concern for diesel emissions as they are extremely toxic. Replacing the older vehicles with the new one that comply with much cleaner BS-VI-standard fuel can reduce toxic emissions and toxic exposure considerably,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director of Centre for Science and Environment.