A recent study has revealed a marginal improvement in Delhi's air quality since 1998 following the Supreme Court (SC) directive to all commercial vehicles to use only CNG as fuel. But despite these highly audible and visible efforts, Delhi is still far from the 'Blue Skies and Clean Air' scenario. Attempts to check pollution by court orders have only created more disorder. All round the doubts, debates and delays continue.

Trouble is the government did not wish to take a stand on CNG. On one hand it didn't want to antagonise trade unions by enforcing the CNG law on them and at the same time it didn't have the courage to oppose it.

As a result supplies have been inadequate and drivers are wasting hours in long queues at the fuelling stations is now a common site. Also, the fitment standards for CNG systems were not enforced at all, resulting in number of fires.

Instead of creating and perfecting the infrastructure for dispensing CNG, the government has only commissioned half a dozen 'Expert Reports' which repeat the same things on norms and fuels! Recently, by accepting, almost overnight, Mashelkar recommendations for allowing a choice of fuel, the government further deferred implementation of the CNG orders. The SC did not approve such a disregard of its orders and imposed a total fine of Rs 25 crore and further continuing fines on a daily basis on transporters and Delhi and Union Governments. As a result Delhi's transport system came to a standstill, dislocating city life, resulting in heavy expenses and suffering for the common man.

In sticking by CNG, we overlook better fuels and technologies. The Mumbai High Court and Maharashtra State Transport Commissioner have followed also forced around 20,000 commercial vehicles to be converted to CNG. Looks like the Delhi scenario will be replayed in Mumbai!

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