The Maharashtra government has formed a seven-member committee to assess the feasibility of banning petrol and diesel vehicles in the Mumbai Metropolitan Area, following concerns about the city’s deteriorating air quality.
The committee, chaired by retired IAS officer Sudhir Kumar Shrivastava, is tasked with studying the issue and submitting its recommendations within three months, according to a government resolution (GR) dated January 22.
Other members of the panel include Maharashtra’s transport commissioner, Mumbai’s joint police commissioner (traffic), managing director of Mahanagar Gas Limited, project manager of Maharashtra State Power Distribution Company Limited (Mahavitaran), president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), and joint transport commissioner (enforcement-1) as the member secretary. The committee is also empowered to include experts in the field for additional input.
What is the objective of the committee?
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), which includes parts of the neighboring Thane, Raigad, and Palghar districts, will also be covered by the study.
The committee’s formation comes after the Bombay High Court expressed serious concerns over the city’s growing traffic congestion and air pollution during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on January 9. The court noted that vehicular emissions are a major contributor to the city’s poor air quality, and current efforts to control vehicle numbers and pollution have proven insufficient.
In response to the court’s observations, the Maharashtra government has tasked the committee to explore the viability of phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles, and replacing them with CNG and electric vehicles in the region.
The court had pointed out that the sheer number of vehicles on Mumbai’s roads was exacerbating the city’s pollution levels and that a comprehensive study was needed to determine whether it would be feasible to eliminate petrol and diesel-driven vehicles.
HC orders BMC, MPCB to ensure eco-friendly fuels for bakeries
The High Court also directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to ensure that city bakeries using wood and coal switch to gas or other eco-friendly fuels within six months, instead of the originally proposed one-year deadline.
Additionally, the court ordered that no new bakery or similar businesses using coal or wood as fuel should be approved, and any new licenses granted must require the use of green fuels.
Moreover, the court instructed the BMC and MPCB to install pollution monitoring systems at construction sites to curb environmental damage.