Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) has expressed concern about the government’s order. Regarding this, DPDA has written a letter to Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa about the practical challenges faced in implementing the No PUC, No Fuel rule. The association has clearly said that it supports every step of the government to deal with the increasing air pollution in Delhi-NCR, but it is very difficult to implement the current directive at the ground level.
DPDA wrote in the letter that at a time when air pollution is seriously affecting people’s health, big and concrete decisions are needed. However, it is difficult to get the expected results from measures limited to Delhi only. The association said that the people of Delhi are more affected by transboundary pollution than local sources. Pollution does not recognize geographical boundaries, so unless uniform rules are implemented in the entire NCR, measures implemented only in the National Capital Territory (NCT) Delhi cannot be effective.
Legal obstacles also enumerated
DPDA also stated in the letter that refusal to sell essential commodities by any retail outlet comes under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and rules related to motor spirit and high speed diesel. In such a situation, petrol pumps may have to face legal risks. The association demanded that the concerned authority should decriminalize refusal to sell, so that the directive can be effectively implemented.
Petrol pump is not an enforcement agency
DPDA bluntly said that petrol pumps are not an enforcement agency. The responsibility of implementing the No PUCC, No Fuel rule should rest with the competent authority with statutory powers. Customers often enter into disputes considering the petrol pump staff as an enforcement agency, due to which there is a danger of law and order being disturbed. The association appealed to avoid any kind of legal action against the petrol pump dealers cooperating in this campaign.
Questions on PUC system and technology
The letter also said that the existing PUC (Pollution Under Control) checking system is outdated and needs to be upgraded. Moreover, no live dashboard or feed has been provided with the ANPR cameras installed at the retail outlets. Due to this, neither a proper trial run could be conducted nor the reliability of the system could be proved. In the last trial, petrol pumps had received a lot of junk data. DPDA has demanded the government to consider all these issues and find practical solutions, so that the goal of pollution control can be achieved without chaos.
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