Home Closure of Automobile Service Stations Operating in Non-Conforming Areas: A Remedy Worse than the Disease   Arising out of the Supreme Court order dated 7th May 2004, the drive for closure/sealing of industrial units operating in non-conforming areas in Delhi will begin from 8th September 2004 starting with hazardous industries falling under group 'F' of Delhi Master Plan. One month thereafter, other industrial units, including automobile service stations, will be sealed. In all 90,000 industries will be sealed or closed in the next three (03) months. A committee headed by the Chief Secretary - S Regunathan and comprising Police Commissioner and MCD Commissioner has been constituted to oversee the drive. Reacting to this move, Prem Bagga, President, Automobile Traders Association, Delhi said that closure/sealing of authorised service stations would compound the problem rather than solving it, adding, "No vehicle user would like to travel 25-30 kms to get his vehicle serviced or repaired. Motorists will instead choose to go to unauthorised garages and mechanics, who neither have technical competence nor the expensive equipment to handle sophisticated vehicles being produced now-a-days. As a result, the improperly repaired/tuned vehicles will give rise to more emissions worsening the situation." "Even in Singapore and European countries, the automobile workshops are located within city in and around residential areas. Automobile workshops equipped with ETP and pollution controlling devices and meeting emission standards for effluent discharge, noise and gaseous emissions should be allowed to operate even if situated in non-conforming areas," says Ashok Sachdev, Vice President ATAD & CMD of Galaxy Toyota, Hans Hyundai and Harpreet Ford. Rakesh Jain, Past President FADA and Director, Gautam Motors & Gautam Automobiles, observes, "Retail automobile trade and service industry are the mainstay of Delhi economy and contribute Rs. 900 crores by way of sales tax from sale of new vehicles alone. If we added to this figure, the sales tax on spare parts, works contract tax on service/repair of vehicles, road tax and host of other levies, Delhi Government collects a sizable sum from automobile retail trade and service industry by various forms of taxes. On the top of it, the retail automobile trade in the organised sector provides direct and indirect employment to over 50,000 persons. Any decision to close the authorised automobile workshops will have serious socio-economic repercussions." The anxiety and uncertainty is bedeviling these authorised workshops in residential areas ever since the Supreme Court delivered its order. The situation is equally worrisome for vehicle users. Arising out of a similar order of Supreme Court in 2000, a delegation of ATAD & FADA members had met the then Lt. Governor, Mr Vijai Kapoor. Appreciating the submissions of ATAD & FADA, Mr Kapoor had allowed authorised service stations to operate within the city. Authorised service stations on their part had offered to install ETP and other pollution controlling equipment, if already not installed. "Automobile Dealers operating authorised repair and service workshops, are equally concerned over environment pollution. Over 90% of the authorised automobile service stations and workshops have already installed the ETP and other pollution controlling equipment to ensure that air, water and soil are not affected by their operations," says Prem Bagga. Automobile repair and service being essential services to the society, may be declared a household industry. In case it is not possible, these authorised repair and service workshops are willing to be re-Iocated to nearby industrial areas. Government should consider providing alternate land in industrial areas as per the directions of the Supreme Court.