Ashish Tripathi, New Delhi, DH News Service, Aug 13 2017, 11:07 IST
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways informed the Supreme Court that it would also issue advisory to the states to ensure that the calibration of Pollution Under Control (PUC) machines should be done at regular intervals by third party agencies duly authorized by the Transport Department of the state. DH file photo
The Centre is going to ask all states to introduce well-equipped mobile test centers to check visibly polluting vehicles. It has also proposed an amendment to the law for recalling of vehicles if those violated emission norms.
"States would be requested to take necessary action in this behalf, being the enforcement agencies within their respective jurisdictions," the Centre said to a suggestion of allowing mobile test centers to crack whips on vehicles violating emission norms.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways informed the Supreme Court that it would also issue advisory to the states to ensure that the calibration of Pollution Under Control (PUC) machines should be done at regular intervals bythird party agencies duly authorized by the Transport Department of the state.
"Further, the Transport Departments shall also be advised to carry random checks of the PUC centers and also to carry enforcement drive for PUC compliance by Motor Vehicle Owners," Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar informed the court.
A suggestion was also made before a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta for implementing emissions recall program to make vehicle manufacturers responsible for manufacturing defects and introduce regulations to prevent the use of "cheat and defeat devices" to reduce emissions on roads.
To this, the Centre said, "The Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill, 2017 proposes a provision for recall of vehicles.
Hence, if a defect is observed in any on-road vehicle which may cause harm to the environment, the manufacturer would be directed to recall the vehicles." The court directed for implementing the suggestion "at the earliest".
The top court, which recently directed that insurance of the vehicles would not be renewed with valid pollution under control certificate, preferred to consider at a later occasion a plea for tightening the PUC emission norms for pre-Bharat State IV vehicles.
To this suggestion, the government said, "The vehicles are manufactured to comply with a predefined emission standard. It is not possible for vehicle owners to improve the emission levels at a later stage. Bharat Stage IV vehicles are already mandated to meet stringent emission norms."
However, it has maintained that strengthening of PUC certification process is expected to ensure better compliance.