Uttarakhand to levy ‘green cess’ on out-of-state vehicles in major push for clean air

To mark its silver jubilee year, the Uttarakhand government has announced plans to impose a ‘Green Cess’ on vehicles entering the state from outside, in a bid to combat rising pollution and fund eco-friendly infrastructure.

According to the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB), revenue from the cess will be directed toward air pollution control, green infrastructure development, and smart traffic management systems.

“As Uttarakhand completes 25 years, it is our commitment to make the state clean, green, and pollution-free,” said the Chief Minister’s Office in a statement. “The revenue generated from the ‘Green Cess’ will be utilized for improving air quality, developing green infrastructure, and implementing smart traffic management systems.”

Road dust and vehicular emissions: Key culprits

Dr. Parag Madhukar Dhakate, Member Secretary of the UKPCB, said board studies found road dust contributes 55% of air pollution in Dehradun, while vehicular emissions account for about 7%. “Through the Green Cess, measures like road dust control and clean vehicle adoption will be the most effective ways to improve air quality,” he said.

The cess aims to discourage older, polluting vehicles, while promoting those using clean fuels such as electric, hydrogen, and solar energy — which will be exempt from the tax.

Revenue to fuel green transformation

The state expects to collect around ₹100 crore annually from the cess, which will be channelled into air quality monitoring, dust suppression systems, tree plantation drives, green zone expansion, and smart traffic technologies.

The initiative comes amid growing concerns about Dehradun’s air quality. Although the government claimed the city’s AQI was “moderate” after Diwali, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) bulletin did not include Dehradun’s data due to incomplete reports from its monitoring station at Doon University.

By introducing the Green Cess, Uttarakhand joins a growing list of Indian states turning to environmental taxation as a tool to clean up their cities and preserve fragile hill ecosystems.