NILGIRIS: The rise in air pollution caused by smoke emitted from vehicles is raising concern among locals and environmentalists in Nilgiris district. The lack of stringent vehicle checks, especially for pollution certificates, is blamed for the problem.
Locals claimed officials don’t properly check vehicles for the ‘Pollution Under Control’ certificate within the Nilgiris district and at the foothills in Coimbatore district.
With the number of tourists increasing at a rapid rate, nature enthusiasts and environmentalists have urged officials to conduct stringent vehicle checks and impose hefty fines against vehicles without a pollution certificate.
J Ebin, an environmentalist from Nilgiris said, “Earlier, police used to conduct regular checks and impose fines on vehicles that did not possess a ‘pollution in check’ certificate. With the practice fading away, the air pollution caused by smoke emitted from vehicles has increased alarmingly.”
He added, “To make matters worse, a majority of government vehicles including police vans and jeeps are also seen emitting black smoke due to poor maintenance. Also, despite the Ministry of Road Transport’s clear instructions, many government vehicles that are over 15 years old are still seen running across the district without proper maintenance.” A Shankar, a grocery store owner from Nilgiris told TNIE, “If you ask officials why they don’t check for pollution certificates in recent times, they say that BS6 vehicles do not emit much smoke. Are there only BS6 vehicles running in Nilgiris, or are all the vehicles entering the district BS6? Most of the cab owners are also operating age-old vehicles without proper pollution certificates. While some are operating with a fake certificate, this must be dealt with strictly by officials.”
Nilgiris District Collector M Aruna told TNIE that she would immediately send a circular to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), Regional Transport Office (RTO), and the police department to intensify the checking of ‘pollution in control’ certificates.
She added, “So far, I have not received any complaints regarding vehicular pollution. However, it is important to preserve the pristine ecosystem of Nilgiris. We shall intensify the checks in the district. I shall instruct officials to take a list of government vehicles that are over 15 years old and still running in the district and take necessary action for their maintenance. The police officials will also be notified about this matter and they will be instructed to check for pollution certificates.”