Submit proposal for using electric vehicles in govt bodies: SC to Centre

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to submit a proposal by April 30 on the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in government departments to reduce pollution.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan asked additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati to place on record the proposal by April end. During the hearing, Bhati said while 60 lakh vehicles over the permissible age were plying in Delhi, in the NCR the number stood at 25 lakh.

“ASG has flagged issues that large number of overage vehicles plying in Delhi and NCR region. We will issue directions on this when we consider the issue of vehicular pollution (sic),” the bench said.

The top court further directed the Centre to complete the study within three months on the use of remote-sensing technology to keep a check on vehicular pollution.

“Attention is invited to reconsider the issue pertaining to issue of remote sensing. UoI (union of India) has sought time of 10-12 months to complete the study. This issue is of vital importance for curbing vehicular pollution. We direct Union of India to complete the study within three months from today,” the bench said.

Bhati said after the FASTag system coming into existence, cars zoomed past toll plazas and couldn’t be used anymore to conduct the study.

So, we will need some more time, she said. The proposal for using remote sensing devices for on-road emission monitoring had first come in 2019 from Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, which assists the apex court on environment issues.

The SC has been monitoring the air pollution crisis in Delhi in an ongoing Public Interest Litigation — M C Mehta v. Union of India, since 1984.