After initial hype and hoopla in 2008, when harried vehicle owners had to queue up outside pollution check centres to get pollution under control (PUC) certificate to escape hefty penalties, these centres have now gone into hibernation. While the vehicles continue to spew poisonous gases on the state roads, it seems the government agencies like the Transport Department, Traffic Police Department and the Pollution Control Board have run out of steam to check vehicular emissions. The state had 94 centres, out of which 78 were functional for nearly 10 lakh vehicles in the state. Admitting that zeal has vanished into thin air, State Transport Commissioner Mehraj Ahmed Kakroo said, “Checking automobile emissions has to be a joint effort of various government agencies. We will definitely look into it.” But we do ensure that vehicle owners produce PUC certificate of their vehicles at the time of their registration and after every six months, he claimed. Under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1989, every vehicle has to obtain a PUC certificate after one year from the date of its purchase, which has to be renewed after six months. An official of the Transport Department said the department had been given the task of issuing licences to such centres and enforcement aspect had to be primarily looked after by the Traffic Police Department and the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB). Definitely, the enthusiasm has fizzled out in a striking contrast to the fact that vehicular population is constantly on the rise in the tourist state and continues to spew carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide and other poisonous emissions, he added. He further said the traffic police, the SPCB and the Transport Department should coordinate with each other for the purpose. “But our department is without enough manpower and resources,” he added before shifting the responsibility on the traffic police and the SPCB. On the other hand, Traffic Police DIG Shakeel Beigh said, “Being overstretched and understaffed, his department is presently hard-pressed dealing with “life-threatening violations”. “But we have decided to launch a crackdown on vehicles found spewing poisonous gases on the roads from January next year. The vehicles without PUC certificate will be fined heavily,” the DIG said. “The policemen, who stand at busy crossings and rotaries for 10 to 12 hours everyday bear the brunt of vehicular emissions,” he added. An SPCB official said the Board had been conducting checks in the state with the help of two mobile vans, one each in Jammu and Srinagar. “Violators are fined but I must also admit that the drive has lost its steam and is not being done on a desired scale,” he added.