PUNE: Ignoring the BEST and expert committee recommendations for CNG buses, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) will purchase 400 diesel buses, reveals an RTI query.
According to an RTI plea filed by a city-based NGO Parisar, “Pune’s public transport utility, PMPML, has gone against the recommendations by an expert committee as well as the BEST and decided to purchase 400 diesel buses.”
“BEST, Mumbai’s public transport department, as well as an expert committee set up by Pune’s public transport authority recommended that the PMPML should buy CNG buses and not diesel buses. Both the bodies suggested that CNG buses were cost effective as well as environment-friendly. Hundreds of Puneites have signed an online petition on air alert and tried getting in touch with Tukaram Mundhe, PMPML’s CMD, asking him to reconsider buying CNG buses for Pune’s streets,” said the RTI.
PMPML also sought recommendations from BEST, which operates around 2,500 CNG buses in Mumbai, in June 2017. According to the BEST, in addition to being environment-friendly, CNG buses are also cost effective mostly because of CNG’s reduced cost.
“The RTI query clearly shows that the PMPML does not want to consider recommendations by experts. Even after clear and irrefutable evidence that our city needs sustainable modes of transportation, PMPML has gone ahead and decided to purchase 400 diesel buses. These diesel buses run for an average of 10 years, which means that for the next decade, Puneites will breathe in toxic pollutants from these vehicles. The transport authority has not kept public interest in mind before taking this decision,” said Ranjit Gadgil, Program Director, Parisar.
In April this year, the PMPML said that it will purchase CNG buses for its new fleet. But in August, it backtracked on its promise of purchasing all CNG buses, which are less polluting for the environment.
NEED FOR CLEANER AIR
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2012 has classified diesel exhaust as Class I carcinogen for the strong link with lung cancer. This puts diesel emissions in the same bracket as tobacco smoking, asbestos etc, in terms of strong carcinogen. “At a time when North India is facing a massive public health crisis due to air pollution, Puneites now have a chance to avoid years and decades of poor air quality, simply by prioritising cleaner public transport options,” said Noah D’Mello, Senior Campaigner, Jhatkaa.org.
