The Maharashtra government has set up a seven-member committee to assess the feasibility of banning petrol and diesel vehicles in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), considering the city’s deteriorating air quality. The committee, led by retired IAS officer Sudhir Kumar Shrivastava, is tasked with studying the situation and submitting its recommendations within three months.
The panel includes Maharashtra’s Transport Commissioner, Mumbai’s Joint Police Commissioner (Traffic), the Managing Director of Mahanagar Gas Limited, the Project Manager of Maharashtra State Power Distribution Company Limited (Mahavitaran), and the President of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). The Joint Transport Commissioner (Enforcement-1) will serve as the Member Secretary.
A recent government resolution (GR) has also empowered the committee to include experts from relevant fields as fellow members and gather feedback from them.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) also encompasses areas in the neighboring districts of Thane, Raigad, and Palghar.
Earlier, on January 9, while hearing a suo-motu Public Interest Litigation, the Bombay High Court raised serious concerns regarding the worsening traffic congestion and rising pollution in Mumbai. The Court highlighted the negative effects these issues have on the city’s quality of life, the environment, and its overall sustainability. It also pointed out that vehicular emissions are a major contributor to air pollution, emphasizing that the current efforts to control vehicle numbers and reduce pollution in the city are insufficient.
In response to the High Court’s observations, the Maharashtra government has formed an expert committee to assess the feasibility of banning petrol and diesel vehicles in the MMR, allowing only CNG and electric vehicles. The court had previously highlighted that the increasing number of automobiles on Mumbai’s roads significantly contributes to the city’s deteriorating air quality. It stressed the importance of conducting a comprehensive study to determine whether phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles is both feasible and appropriate. The committee, which will carry out the study, is expected to submit its report within three months.
This is not the first time the state has addressed vehicular pollution. More than two decades ago, the Maharashtra government established the VM Lal Committee to identify sources of pollution and assess its impact on public health, while suggesting measures to reduce pollution from vehicles.
Currently, Mumbai has around 48 lakh registered vehicles across four RTO offices. “Every year, over 2 lakh new vehicles, including cars and two-wheelers, are added to the roads. In 2024 alone, 2.54 lakh vehicles were registered at the city’s four RTOs: 66,873 at Tardeo RTO (MH01), 66,692 at Wadala RTO (MH03), 64,766 at Borivali RTO (MH47), and 55,967 at Andheri RTO (MH01). In total, over 29 lakh vehicles are registered across all RTOs in the state, bringing the state’s overall vehicle count to 3.80 crore,” said an official, adding that by December 2024, the total number of vehicles in the MMR exceeded 1.30 crore.
According to a senior officer from Maharashtra’s transport department, by 2030, the number of registered vehicles in Maharashtra could reach 6 crore, and possibly 15 crore by 2035, with an annual growth rate of 6-8%.
