The Supreme Court had ordered that all vehicles - diesel or petrol - registered in the National Capital Region after May 1 should conform to Euro I emission norms.

Shah asks, "What is so great about Delhi that no other city should get the benefit of such a legislation?" He says that at peak hours, cities like Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Calcutta are as congested and as polluted as Delhi. The case is being examined by CERC's legal department and vehicular statistics are being collected, he said.

Vadodara has four lakh vehicles on its roads and Ahmedabad more than six lakh. "The density of vehicles on our roads will be close to that of Delhi, if not as much. Even if we assume that 50 per cent ofthe vehicles are polluting, at a minimum amount of 500 gm of pollutants per vehicle, tonnes of poisonous substances would be discharged into our atmosphere every day," says V V Modi from the Society for Clean Environment.

Modi insists that the Supreme Court judgment should be made applicable to all areas where the density of vehicles is at par with Delhi. He feels polluting vehicles should be asked to undergo on-the-spot repairs.

Others take it more tolerantly. Chairman of the Gujarat Ecology Commission Hasmukh Shah says, "Though as a concerned citizen, I would like the SC ruling to be made applicable in Gujarat immediately, as an officer dealing with the industry and knowing its problems, I feel the changes should be brought about in a phased manner."

Vehicular pollution levels in Gujarat are high, says Shah. According to him, though a decision to make it mandatory that all vehicles meet Euro I norms will affect the sale of Maruti cars, some order needs to be brought in for the benefit of theenvironment. Shah wants the norms to extend to two and three wheelers also since their "polluting potential is higher than that of four wheelers".

"All major cities will have to have such stringent norms," agrees Shivanand Swami, Director of School of Planning. He says that Euro I and Euro II are only small steps towards environmental consciousness. At the same time, he emphasised the need for good public transport. "Otherwise, private vehicles will keep increasing," he said. Swami called for a stiff pollution tax on polluting vehicles.

The appeal is universal. "We can expect local NGOs to approach the courts on this. The norms will gradually have to be implemented all over," says Karthikeya Sarabhai of the Centre for Environment Education.

Feeling the pinch

Though the SC judgment is applicable only to Delhi, car buyers here have started making inquiries about Euro I and II norms. Says Noopur Panwar, a teacher at the Delhi Public School, "Even if it means paying a little more, I would prefer tobuy a car that is environment friendly." So far, there has been no effect on sales. Maruti dealers, who would be the hardest hit, are maintaining a stiff upper lip. "Our sales have not been affected," says L S Balchandran of Cargo Motors. However, Shrikant Joshi of Kiran Motors, another Maruti dealer, admitted that the people were inquiring about Euro I compliance.