New Delhi: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta tabled the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India’s report on Delhi’s vehicular air pollution in the Assembly on Tuesday. The report, titled “Performance Audit of ‘Prevention and Mitigation of Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi’ for the year ended March 31, 2021”, highlights serious deficiencies in policy enforcement, coordination among agencies, and data accuracy, which have contributed to Delhi’s worsening air quality.
The audit report underscores major challenges, including inaccuracies in air quality data, an acute shortage of public transport buses, inadequate emission testing, a sluggish increase in electric vehicle (EV) adoption, and the ineffective implementation of the Odd-Even car rationing scheme. Despite multiple policies and action plans, weak enforcement and interdepartmental coordination continue to hinder effective pollution control.
Inaccuracies in air quality data
The report raises concerns about Delhi’s Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS), which fail to meet Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines, making their air quality readings unreliable. “The location of CAAQMS did not fulfil the requirements laid down by the CPCB indicating possible inaccuracies in the data generated by them, rendering the Air Quality Index values unreliable,” the report states. Additionally, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) lacks essential real-time data on pollutant concentrations and has not conducted a study to identify pollution sources. “The DPCC was also not measuring levels of Lead in Delhi’s ambient air. The GNCTD did not have any real-time information regarding sources of pollutants as it did not conduct any study in this regard,” it further noted.
Lax emission testing and unregulated vehicles
One of the findings is the issuance of over 1.08 lakh Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates to vehicles exceeding permissible carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) limits. “More than 1.08 lakh vehicles were issued PUC certificates despite emitting carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons beyond permissible limits. In many cases, multiple vehicles were issued certificates at the same time, sometimes within a minute of each other,” the report stated. Public transport buses also failed to undergo mandatory bi-monthly emission tests as directed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Between August 2015 and August 2020, 4,007 diesel vehicles exceeding pollution limits were still certified as compliant. Moreover, 22.14 lakh diesel vehicles were inspected at Pollution Checking Centres (PCCs), but test values were missing for 24 per cent of them. The report also found that out of 47.51 lakh overage vehicles that should have been deregistered from 2018-19 to 2020-21, only 2.98 lakh were removed, while 93.73 per cent remained active on Delhi’s roads. “None of the 347 impounded vehicles were scrapped by March 2021, and the capacity of impounding pits remains grossly inadequate with space for only 4,000 vehicles compared to over 41 lakh vehicles awaiting scrapping,” the report added.
Shortage of public transport buses
The CAG report highlights a significant shortage of public buses, with only 6,750 buses available against the required 9,000. The inefficiencies in the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) include an insufficient number of buses in operation, poor route coverage, and a lack of rationalization in bus routes. These factors further contribute to the city’s reliance on private vehicles, exacerbating pollution levels. Despite government incentives for electric vehicle adoption, the increase in EV registrations in Delhi has been negligible. “Despite providing financial and other incentives to encourage the adoption of Electric Vehicles, there was an insignificant increase in the number of Electric Vehicles registered in Delhi,” the report said. The availability of EV charging infrastructure is limited and unevenly distributed, deterring potential users. Additionally, the government has not made significant efforts to promote non-motorized transport alternatives.
Failure of the Odd-Even scheme
The Odd-Even car rationing scheme, part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to curb pollution during peak periods, was not implemented consistently when pollution levels surged. “The Graded Response Action Plan, consisting of the Odd-Even Scheme and restricting entry of trucks into Delhi, was not implemented by the Government on the majority of occasions when pollution levels were high,” the report noted. The government was also criticized for failing to establish Inter-State Bus Terminals (ISBTs) at Delhi’s entry points to regulate diesel-powered inter-state buses and prevent the city from becoming a trans-shipment hub.
Neglect of parking regulations
The report faults the government for not enforcing the ‘Delhi Management and Parking Places Rules, 2019’, which aim to reduce traffic congestion caused by haphazard vehicle parking. “The government did not take any action to implement ‘Delhi Management and Parking Places Rules, 2019’ aimed at avoiding stagnation of vehicles and traffic congestion due to haphazardly parked vehicles,” it stated. Authorities also failed to link transport permit approvals to the availability of adequate parking space, further exacerbating the issue.
The enforcement branch of the transport department faces severe staff and resource shortages, limiting its ability to monitor pollution violations effectively. “The transport department’s enforcement branch did not have sufficient staff or vehicles equipped with pollution-checking devices, making it difficult to monitor violations effectively,” the report said. The lack of vehicles equipped with pollution-checking devices has led to inadequate surveillance at Delhi’s entry points, weakening the enforcement of emission norms.
Beyond crop burning: Internal failures in pollution control
While external factors like stubble burning in neighboring states contribute to Delhi’s pollution crisis, the report emphasizes systemic failures in local governance as a major cause. “Delhi’s pollution crisis was not just a result of external factors such as crop burning in the neighbouring states but is also fuelled by systemic failures in regulation and enforcement within the city itself,” it said. Weak regulation and poor enforcement have significantly hindered progress in combating vehicular emissions.
The report underscores the fragmented nature of Delhi’s air pollution policies, pointing out that multiple regulations exist but lack strict enforcement and coordination between agencies. It calls for improved monitoring, stricter pollution control measures, and greater public awareness to address the Capital’s deteriorating air quality.