mumbai
\nThe government of Maharashtra has constituted a seven-member panel to explore the feasibility of banning petrol and diesel vehicles in Mumbai and replacing them with electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, following a directive from the Bombay High Court.
\nThe proposal comes amid mounting concerns over deteriorating air quality in India\u2019s financial hub. Mumbai, home to major stock exchanges and multinational offices, has witnessed a steady decline in air quality due to increased traffic congestion and ongoing construction projects.
\nIn its January 9 order, the court emphasized the alarming rise in vehicular emissions, calling them one of the primary contributors to air pollution. \u201cThe roads in the Mumbai metropolitan region are choked with vehicles, and the density of vehicles is alarming,\u201d the court noted.
\nMumbai\u2019s air quality has worsened significantly since 2020, with a 12% rise in the air quality index (AQI), according to data from AQI, a real-time air quality monitoring platform.
\nIf implemented, the ban could have wide-ranging implications for automobile manufacturers, businesses, and citizens reliant on petrol and diesel vehicles. The city currently lacks adequate infrastructure for electric vehicle (EV) charging, and its metro rail network is still under development.
\nThe government\u2019s committee is tasked with studying the proposal and submitting its findings within three months.
\nIn addition to the proposed ban, the Maharashtra government is reportedly exploring a policy requiring vehicle owners to have certified parking spaces. Vehicle registration could be denied if owners fail to comply, according to the state\u2019s transport commissioner, Vivek Bhimanwar.
\nIndia, which is home to some of the world\u2019s most polluted cities, has been grappling with severe air quality issues. New Delhi, the capital, frequently records hazardous AQI levels during winter, underscoring the need for urgent action on pollution.
\nThe panel\u2019s findings are expected to shape the future of transportation policy in Mumbai, potentially setting a precedent for other Indian cities battling pollution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
mumbai The government of Maharashtra has constituted a seven-member panel to explore the feasibility of banning petrol and diesel vehicles in Mumbai and replacing them with electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, following a directive from the Bombay High Court. The proposal comes amid mounting concerns over deteriorating air quality in India\u2019s financial hub. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":76229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76249"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76261,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76249\/revisions\/76261"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}