Govt to prosecute motorists causing pollution in Delhi

NEW DELHI, October 25: For the first time, motorists violating pollution norms will be fined on the spot through a system under which CCTV cameras will capture registration numbers and vehicles plying without PUC certificates will be detected within seconds. The AAP government has prepared a proposal and asked Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) to develop a technology to execute the project. The move comes after it was found that most vehicles did not have Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. The project is being implemented on the lines of Delhi Traffic Police prosecuting speed violators through interceptors. "As per the planning, Transport Department will install CCTV cameras at few locations on pilot basis which will be enabled to identify the errant vehicles not having PUC certificate within seconds. "As 693 PUC centres are connected to central server, these CCTV cameras will send a message to department's officials deployed a few hundreds meters ahead, stating that this vehicle doesn't have PUC certificate and officials will then be able to detect it. CCTV cameras will be installed by the end of this year," a senior official told PTI. The official said that by setting up such system, government can strictly keep a tab on those violating pollution norms. The project will also help government reduce pollution as vehicles are one of major sources of generating air pollution. At present, traffic police and transport department officials prosecute motorists, which do not have PUC certificates, through checking system, but in this practice, each vehicle could not be identified easily as violators. The government also  have plans to send challan to the residence of the vehicle owners through post which is identified as violators of pollution norms through CCTV cameras. "The department is also mulling over creating a system under which challans for causing pollution will directly be sent to violators to be identified by CCTV cameras at their residence through post," official also said. In order to make city's 'polluted' air clean, Delhi had on October 22 observed its first Car-Free Day, aimed at encouraging people to use public transport.