NGT orders phaseout of 15 year old vehicles in Bengal, including private ones

The eastern zone branch of the national green tribunal has directed the West Bengal government to phase out within six months all vehicles older than 15 years, including private ones. The phaseout has been directed to reduce air pollution in Kolkata and Howrah.

State transport minister Firhad Hakim said that the government will appeal to the bench for more time as lakhs of vehicles fall under this category. “Although the affidavit of the state government indicates some actions, a concerted effort by the state government is lacking. A huge number of private and commercial vehicles older than 15 years are plying in the cities of Kolkata and Howrah,” according to NGT bench of Justice B. Amit Sthalekar and expert member Saibal Dasgupta. “It is therefore directed that all the old commercial and private vehicles in the state of West Bengal, including the cities of Kolkata and Howrah, be phased out in the next six months,” the order said.

Public transport vehicles below BS-IV are to be phased out in the next six months so that only BS-VI vehicles ply in the state including Kolkata and Howrah, after six months, as per the order. The government has been asked to urgently introduce buses run on environment-friendly CNG and electricity.

An estimated 2.19 lakh commercial vehicles and 18.2 lakh private vehicles ply in Kolkata and an estimated 6.98 lakh commercial vehicles and 65 lakh private vehicles ply in the entire state. Kolkata and Howrah are among the most polluted cities in the country.

The bench also asked the Bengal government to implement the action plan recommended by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute to fight air pollution in Kolkata and Howrah over the next three months. The action plans were based on a study commissioned by the state pollution control board following an order of the NGT.