A three-day strike by goods transport operators in Delhi-NCR has raised concerns over possible disruption in the supply of fruits, vegetables, milk and other essential items in the capital.
The transport shutdown began on Thursday and is scheduled to continue on May 21, 22 and 23, with operators protesting against the increase in the Environment Compensation Charge, commonly referred to as the Green Cess.
Transporters said goods-carrying vehicles entering Delhi have halted operations as part of the protest.
Dr Harish Sabbarwal, National President of the All India Goods Transporters Congress, said teams had been deployed across Delhi to ensure the strike is observed.
According to transporters, the protest is aimed at the repeated increase in charges imposed on commercial vehicles entering the capital.
Under the revised rates, the environmental charge for light commercial vehicles has been increased from Rs 1,400 to Rs 2,000, while the levy for heavy vehicles has gone up from Rs 2,600 to Rs 4,000.
Dr Sabbarwal claimed that the government had collected Rs 1,753 crore through the Green Cess but spent only Rs 715 crore.
"This will ruin the transporters," he said.
"The government must explain exactly where the Green Cess funds were spent and whether those expenditures actually resulted in any reduction in pollution levels."
He also said transporters were already dealing with rising operating costs.
"We are not aggrieved by the hike in diesel prices. However, the additional sum of Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 being levied upon us in the name of tolls and the 'Green Cess' is unjust."
Azadpur Mandi May Feel Supply Pressure
Delhi's Azadpur Mandi, one of the city's biggest fruit and vegetable wholesale markets, receives around 7,000 vehicles daily.
Traders said the immediate impact may remain limited because consignments that arrived overnight before the strike began are still being processed.
However, supply pressure may become more visible over the next two days if vehicle movement remains affected.
Fruit trader Vinay Kumar Dua said the market had already seen reduced vehicle arrivals on Thursday.
Transporters claim more than 1.6 million vehicles from Delhi-NCR enter the capital daily, including those carrying essential goods.
If the strike continues without resolution, supply disruptions could affect the availability of fresh produce and other daily-use items across parts of Delhi-NCR.
