While the number of auto rickshaws is increasing in the city,the State Transport Authority appears to be busy in maintaining its figures,pertaining to checking pollution caused by the autorickshaws,mainly the ones that run on diesel. The STA challaned 666 autorickshaws,in 2010,for violating pollution norms. This year,in the first six months,300 autorickshaws were challaned for the violation. The Chandigarh autorickshaw union claims that the officials issuing challans do not accept the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates issued by any pollution check centre other than the state-run centre in Sector 28. Yet,on the other hand,the operators,running the Sector 28 pollution checking centre claim that they hardly get one or maximum two autos daily for pollution checks. A PUC costs Rs 35 at the authorised pollution checking centres. The president of the autorickshaws union,Ashu told Newsline,The officials at the Sector 28 pollution check centre are too reluctant to issue the PUC certificate to the autorickshaws. They list faults in the autorickshaws. Contrary to the allegations made by the Unions president,the STA states that the number of public transport vehicles including the autorickshaws can get their PUC certificates renewed from any of the 20 pollution check centres in the city. No doubt,our officials ask the autorickshaw to go to the Sector 28 centre since the level of authenticity is greater there. But there is no compulsion, STA Secretary,Mahavir Kaushik said. According to the figures maintained by the STA,there are 2,500 autos,which run on LPG and 2,300 which run on diesel. The data is four years old. The STA say that there has been no new registrations after 2007,as the administration had decided to phase out the diesel-run autos. Sector 28,STA operator,Nakchhed Ram,said,Autorickshaw drivers rarely come here for checking. Whenever the pollution level for any vehicle rises above the permissible limit,we ask the owner to get the engine checked. The permissible level of pollution for autorikshaws is 65 HSU. Certificates are issued only when the pollution level of a vehicle exceeds this limit. The STA officials claim that they conduct routine checks for pollution caused by the autorickshaws,but there had not been any specific drives in the entire city,to check such a violation,this year. The autorickshaw driver is fined for Rs 1,000,in case he fails to produce the PUC certificate,or the pollution caused by the autorickshaw is found beyond the permissible limit. The PUC is valid for six months,after which the autorickshaw operator has to obtain a fresh certificate. According to the STA officials,the pollution level of a vehicle rises when either the vehicle develops defects in the filter,head or gaskit or due to tuning (overconsumption of fuel). There are around 18 authorised pollution checking centres in the city
