Kolkata: Kolkata began its campaign to clean up its air with 1500 policemen taking to the streets to seize polluting buses, taxis and autos. Most commercial vehicles stayed off the streets on Saturday, so seizures were few and far between - three taxis, one bus and one auto.
However, it is a start. Many people in the city say it's the right step forward.
After the first and only auto rickshaw was seized by the police at Park Circus, it was a warning and, soon, autos virtually vanished from Kolkata's streets. At Tollygunge, angry auto drivers attacked government buses. Elsewhere, they rued their lot.
"Why did they renew our registrations year after year?" said Rintu, an auto driver.
As of Saturday, 3000 buses, 7000 taxis and 80,000 autos were off Kolkata's streets because of a Calcutta High Court order.
In July 2008, it banned buses and taxis more than 15-year old and autos with two-stroke engines or still running on diesel instead of LPG.
Kolkatans regret the livelihoods at stake but pollution, they say, is too high a price to pay.
"For the good of the environment it is needed. For the good of our health it is also needed. The hazardous thing that is happening, we don't realize now. So when we realize it, it will be too late. So prevention is better than cure," said Arun Bhattacharya, a Kolkata resident.
The crackdown on commercial vehicles will continue on Monday and commuters can expect hard times but also cleaner air. The Supreme Court is likely to pass a final order on the issue on Tuesday.