The Supreme Court has suggested using remote sensing technology as a more reliable alternative to Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates to monitor vehicular pollution. This technology would help in identifying high-emission vehicles, issuing warnings to owners for repairs, and conducting mandatory tests. The proposal for remote sensing devices for emission monitoring was first put forward in 2019 by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA). Despite initial resistance from the Centre, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways eventually published specifications for the technology known as the AIS-170.
The EPCA report highlighted the limitations of PUC tests for vehicles conforming to new emission standards like BS-IV and BS-VI. It also emphasized the importance of remote sensing tests to capture emissions that contribute to ozone and particulate matter formation. While the Centre’s response initially left the implementation to states, it later committed to issuing advisories for the process. The technology would involve installing a GPS-enabled emission module, camera, and speed acceleration measurement system to monitor pollution in real-time.
Following the recommendation of the ICAT, the remote sensing technology aims to target gross polluters, particularly heavy vehicles, by issuing warnings for repairs or mandatory testing to improve air quality. The Supreme Court is pushing for the swift implementation of this technology to combat air pollution, particularly in Delhi and the NCR region.
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