Maharashtra govt plans to remove petrol-diesel vehicles phase-wise

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has been planning to ban petrol- and diesel-run vehicles in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) in order to mitigate increasing pollution levels and deteriorating air quality. The state government has formed a committee to investigate that vehicles running on petrol and diesel can be eliminated gradually and allow only CNG-based and electric vehicles to ply on the city’s roads. The transport department on Wednesday issued this notice.

The government has taken this decision due to increasing pollution in the financial capital of India, causing a concern for the Mumbaikars as well as the government. The Bombay High Court on January 9 took suo motu cognizance of the rising air pollution in Mumbai and its surrounding regions. HC urged the state government to consider whether it is possible to eliminate diesel and petrol vehicles from the city slowly and allow only green vehicles.

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The state government came into action after getting the order from the court and formed a seven-member committee headed by retired bureaucrat Sudhir Kumar Srivastava. Other officials in the team are the transport commissioner, joint commissioner of police (transport), managing director, Mahanagar Gas Limited; project director, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited; president, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers; and the joint transport commissioner. The committee will have to submit its report along with recommendations in three months.

The previous year, in the month of December, Mumbai’s air quality remained in the ‘Moderate’ to ‘Poor’ category. Therefore, the high court urged taking some strong measures to control the pollution levels. Pollution through vehicles plays a major role in the deterioration of air quality.