Rohtang pass: SC seeks data, refuses to increase number of vehicles

Vehicular exhausts have “adverse impacts” on glaciers, the Supreme Court said on Monday, while

making it clear that it cannot enhance the number of petrol and diesel-run vehicles in the eco-sensitive

Rohtang Pass area without any data.

“Let us have the data. They are saying that 1,200 vehicles can be allowed. If you say that make it 2,000,

then there has to be some data. You have to draw the line somewhere,” a Vacation Bench of Justices PC

Pant and DY Chandrachud said.

“Vehicular exhausts have adverse impacts on glaciers and in a way, your livelihood is also dependent on

glaciers,” it said and asked the parties, including Himachal Pradesh to respond to the affidavit filed by

the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in the case.

The Bench, for the time being, declined to grant an interim relief to the Him-Aanchal Taxi Operators

Union, which has sought increase in the numbers of vehicles to be allowed to ply on the Manali-Rohtang

Pass route.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has recently said that 800 petrol vehicles per day would be allowed

to go to Rohtang, instead of the 600 as permitted in its earlier order.

It had also allowed 400 diesel vehicles to pass through the 13,050-ft Pass. The order is being assailed by

the taxi operators’ association on grounds, including that it impacts the right to earn livelihood.

The Bench, which has now fixed the matter after two weeks, has asked the parties concerned to file

responses to the affidavit of the ministry.

The ministry has said that it has “no such scheme for development of CNG stations in the country and

also there is no budgetary provisions for such expenditure.”

“…Therefore, it was felt that re-working of the business model for providing CNG facility at the Manali-

Rohtang Pass route, is required to find a solution to the capital expenditure problem and to address the

much wider issue of viability of CNG operation. In view of the above, it was decided that GAIL/GAIL Gas

and representative of the Government of Himachal Pradesh will work out a sustainable business model

for providing the CNG facility at Manali-Rohtang Pass within four weeks…,” the Centre said, adding it

was “committed to provide support for successful implementation” of CNG projects on Manali-Rohtang

road.

NGS INDIA