Ban on diesel vehicles boosts war on pollution

Drastic times call for drastic measures. After the Delhi government's proposal to introduce odd-even formula to keep some cars away from roads, the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) decision to ban registration of diesel vehicles in Delhi has come as a shot in the arm for the crusade against pollution.

The national capital is already turning into a "toxic city" and one only hopes that these drastic measures will bring some relief. The ban on the registration of diesel vehicles is revolutionary in the sense that the move comes in the wake of stiff resistance from the industry and the consumers.

The low running costs of diesel cars have made them an attractive option for those who run high on miles. The fact that affordability came at the cost of pollution was largely ignored. While banning registration of diesel vehicle, the NGT was critical of the Delhi government’s even-odd arrangement to regulate number of cars on the roads.

The green tribunal is apprehensive about the success of such a move. The experiment with even-odd formula will be implemented from January 1 and the Delhi government is still in the process of getting the blueprint ready. Time is really short to roll out a glitch-free scheme and everyone in the city has been apprehensive about the chaos it may unleash.

There is fear that it would actually encourage those who can afford to buy a second car. In the long run, the city might see adding up more cars. The immediate fallout of the move will be the extra burden on the public transport system, which is already reeling under population pressure.

There is no doubt that time is running out for the city which has come to the point of now or never. It is a sad commentary on the state of affairs that the matters were allowed to slip into such a state where even a breath of fresh air has become a rarity.