Jaipur: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Rajasthan govt to take a series of measures to improve air quality in Jaipur and ensure that funds collected through Green Tax are utilised strictly for purposes permitted under the Rajasthan Transport Infrastructure Development Fund (RTIDF) Rules, 2012.The directions were issued while disposing of an original application concerning vehicular pollution and utilisation of Green Tax collected by state govt. The tribunal considered material on Jaipur’s air quality, sources of pollution, environmental impact and the functioning of the RTIDF.According to the joint committee report placed before the tribunal, Rs 2,283.97 crore had been received as Green Tax by department of transport and road safety over the past 10 years. The report indicated that portions of the fund had been used for operation of buses, reimbursement of operational losses and settlement of salary and contractor dues.The tribunal observed that such utilisation was inconsistent with the notified purposes of the RTIDF and termed the alleged misutilisation of Green Tax funds “surprising and shocking”. It directed the transport department to strictly follow the RTIDF Rules, 2012 and ensure that Green Tax-related funds are used only for permitted purposes, including measures to control air pollution.The tribunal also considered various sources of air pollution in Jaipur, including soil and road dust, biomass burning, vehicular emissions, municipal solid waste burning, coal and fly ash, industrial activity and construction-related dust. Road and soil dust was noted as a significant contributor, particularly to PM10 during summer.Among its directions, the tribunal asked authorities to develop a system to monitor environmental quality across Jaipur and identify pollution hotspots. It also directed that a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) be developed and implemented at the earliest.A senior official said, “The Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board was directed to conduct regular inspections in areas recording higher pollution levels and inform concerned departments when pollution exceeds prescribed CPCB norms.”Other measures include paving unpaved roads in highly polluted areas, deploying vacuum-assisted sweeping machines, reducing diesel generator use, promoting solar alternatives, increasing PUC centres, encouraging cleaner fuels and vehicles, and taking action against roadside encroachments and traffic bottlenecks.“The application was disposed of with these directions,” said an official.
