PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun Uttarakhand government will collect a green cess from vehicles entering the State from other States, generating an estimated Rs 100 crore annually. The revenue will be used for air quality monitoring, road dust control, expansion of green areas and smart traffic management. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the move marks the State’s commitment to clean air and better environmental management on the occasion of Uttarakhand completing 25 years. “Revenue from the green cess will be invested in improving air quality, developing green infrastructure and implementing smart traffic solutions,” he said. The member secretary of the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) Parag Madhukar Dhakate stated that road dust accounts for 55 per cent of air pollution in Dehradun while vehicle emissions contribute seven per cent. He said that controlling road dust and regulating older vehicles through the green cess will be an effective step to improve air quality. The green cess will exempt electric, hydrogen, solar and battery-operated vehicles. The State government aims to reduce pollution, control old vehicles, promote clean fuel vehicles and improve air monitoring, road dust management and tree plantation through this initiative, he added. He informed that according to India’s Clean Air Survey 2024, Rishikesh ranked 14th and Dehradun 19th among cities nationwide. He stated that funds from the green cess will further strengthen the State’s performance in air quality management. The government expects the initiative to support clean air, healthy life across the State, he added.