New Delhi: More than half of the funds received by Delhi govt to fight against polluting activities remain unused, shows govt data. Out of Rs 1,753.2 crore of Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) collected till Dec 4 last year, govt has spent only Rs 781.4 crore while the remaining Rs 971.8 crore — 55.4% — is lying unused. ECC is collected on the orders of Supreme Court at Delhi’s border points to discourage the entry of commercial vehicles not destined for the city to reduce vehicular pollution.Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) recently recommended to Supreme Court that ECC and MCD toll charges should be revised as some commercial vehicles prefer passing through Delhi because it is cheaper and more convenient than using the eastern or western peripheral expressways. While the toll charge of Municipal Corporation of Delhi has not been revised for a long time, CAQM said in its affidavit that ECC had also not been modified since 2015.“Given the tendency of commercial vehicles to pass through Delhi to travel shorter distances and avoid higher tolls on the eastern and western peripheral expressways, a review and rationalisation of toll and ECC rates is suggested to restore their deterrent effect,” stated CAQM. For example, if an empty two-axel truck enters the city, it will pay Rs 700, including MCD toll and ECC, but it will pay Rs 1,005 for Eastern Peripheral Expressway or Rs 945 for Western Peripheral Expressway. This truck will also save fuel as it will cover a shorter distance within the city.Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at Centre for Science and Environment, said, “Rates should be revised regularly to ensure that passing through Delhi is more expensive than using the peripheral expressways. Authorities should also strengthen surveillance at all entry points, make real-time data on incoming vehicles publicly available and revise collection rates so that commercial vehicles pay higher charges for entering Delhi.“Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at thinktank Envirocatalysts, said, “Such vehicles add to the pollution load, especially during the winter season when Delhi’s AQI is mostly above 300. ECC and MCD toll charges should be revised to discourage them from entering the capital.”CAQM also emphasised that the imposition of ECC must continue uninterrupted. Regarding the proposal to suspend ECC along with the toll collection until the multi-lane free flow system is installed and operationalised, CAQM told the apex court that it might encourage diversion of non-destined commercial traffic through Delhi, aggravating congestion and pollution.It recommended that MCD should ensure the installation and full operationalisation of the barrier-free multi-lane system, integrated with RFID and automatic number plate recognition, at all 126 toll points by Oct 2026 to avoid vehicular stoppage and reduce congestion at the border entry points.Govt data shows that in Dec 2025, 37.6 lakh vehicles paid toll at the MCD toll plazas, out of which 36.9 lakh vehicles paid through RFID and 70,602 in cash. Besides, 69,465 vehicles had mont-hly passes issued by MCD. In the same month, 1.2 lakh vehicles paid ECC at 126 toll plazas. On average, 1.2 lakh vehicles pay toll at the MCD toll plazas while 3,864 pay ECC daily. MCD earns around Rs 865 crore annually through the toll.Referring to the unutilised ECC funds, CAQM said, “This under-utilisation dilutes the effectiveness of ECC as an environment protection measure.”
