NEW DELHI July 16, 2002: Centre for Science and Environment welcomes the recent Supreme Court ruling that prohibits the entry of polluting trucks into Delhi and mandates Euro II compliance for the city’s transportation fleet. More than 65,000 trucks and other goods vehicles will be barred from entering Delhi after the Court order is enforced. Immediately after the Court ruling, CSE estimated the impact of this move on emissions from truck sources into Delhi with the help of its newly developed computer simulated vehicular emissions load model. The results are dramatic. (See: summary results of the CSE study).

• The combined move of barring the entry of polluting trucks and other goods vehicles; allowing entry only to Euro II compliant vehicles; and mandating only a Euro II compliant city fleet will reduce particulate matter emissions from these vehicles by a whopping 55 per cent. After the speedy conversion of the city’s bus fleet to CNG, trucks and goods vehicles have emerged as the largest contributors of particulate matter emissions in the capital today -- emitting as much as 45 per cent of the total particulate emissions from vehicular sources.

• An immediate emissions reduction of 55 per cent is expected on account of the removal of a sizeable number of incoming trucks and goods vehicles from Delhi’s congested -- and polluted -- roads.

• Over time however, the fleet of Euro II compliant trucks and goods vehicles that will replace the ageing truck fleet will increase and so will the emissions load. This means we will need a bolder road map for the future in order to sustain the immediate benefits of lower emissions.

The Supreme Court ruling of July 15, 2002 has also issued show cause notice to the Police Commissioner and the Delhi government for non-compliance with its earlier order of banning the entry of trucks and other goods traffics into Delhi. In its order of December 6, 2001, the Apex court had banned such entry effective from January 15 this year. The Delhi government was supposed to formulate a scheme to implement this order. These vehicles can enter only on payment of toll and tax for transportation of goods to and from Delhi. The Supreme Court also ruled that no corridor joining different highways should pass through Delhi.

This ruling will make a significant difference to the city’s air.