EVEN six years ago, vehicular pollution was a non-issue in the country. But as more multinational automobile companies drove in, new technology products were launched, and people became aware of the ill-effects of air pollution, not only were legislation mandated for tighter emission norms, but a roadmap was drawn up for progressively more stringent standards.
After instituting Bharat Stage II emission norms based on the globally accepted Euro II standards, the next milestone is the introduction of the stricter Bharat Stage III (BS III) norms for passenger vehicles; this draws from Euro III standards.
The effective implementation of emission norms in the country, that is trying to make up for the delay of decades in matching internationally acceptable levels and standards, has already led to a visible improvement in air quality in cities such as Delhi and Mumbai.
The new BS III norms will take the process one more step forward with the coming into force of the standard for all new vehicle registrations after April 1.
The new emission standard will be mandated in 11 cities initially, which will include the National Capital Region of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Surat, Kanpur and Agra.
The Bharat Stage III norms for all types of vehicles were notified by the Government late last year and will be achievable by automobile manufacturers only if the oil companies improve fuel quality simultaneously. Improvements in fuel quality will include a reduction in the sulphur content and an increase in octane levels for diesel and petrol.
Vehicles that run on petrol and diesel produce highly toxic oxides of sulphur and nitrogen, in addition to carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. In the case of diesel, the exhaust fumes also include considerable amounts of soot and suspended particulate matter.
The emission standards aim to reduce progressively the upper limits of these elements in the exhaust emission.
Thus, BS III is expected to lead to a halving of emission of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide. In all, the emission of BS III-compliant petrol cars will be about 28 per cent lower than the Bharat Stage II cars and 89 per cent lower than cars manufactured in 1991.
Similarly, in the diesel segment, there will be a 30 per cent reduction in emission compared to BS II cars and about 72 per cent lower than of vehicles produced in 1992.
Upgrading cars to make them BS III compliant will need technology inputs in the form of new parts to treat exhaust emissions and to improve the fuel injection efficiency. Some of the changes for petrol engines could include new, more powerful electronic control systems for the injectors, changes to the exhaust systems including new generation catalytic converters, upgradation of sensors, and reduction of evaporative emissions.
For diesel vehicles, it could also include the new generation common rail direct injection (CRDI) type engines and exhaust gas recycling mechanisms.
All new cars registered after the deadline of March 31 will have to be BS III compliant in the 11 cities, except for vehicles were produced on or before that date. Cars that are BS III compliant will tend to be more expensive than their predecessors, but will also fetch a better price in the used-car market. This will specially be the case with diesel-driven cars whose BS III versions feature the new CRDI type engine.
Headlamp levelling
As part of the package of new norms and standards, the Government has also prescribed a more stringent testing procedure for BS III compliance and a set of new mandatory safety features for the automobile industry. One such is a new technology and safety feature called the headlamp levelling device.
At the time of production, most car headlamps featuring a fixed socket do not take into consideration the effect of additional weight in the form of passengers or cargo.
Hence, though the light beam from the headlamp may seem set right at the factory when the vehicle is not carrying the full complement of passengers, the light beam will tend to fall farther away from the car than when the vehicle's rear seats are occupied or when the boot is loaded.
For the purpose of optimum utilisation of the low-beam bulb's lighting, the headlamp alignment requires a mechanism for vertical adjustment of the bulb's position. Starting this April, all categories of cars will, therefore, have to mandatorily feature a headlamp levelling device that will allow the driver to adjust the low-beam bulb's light to neutralise the effect of additional weight in the car.
The headlamp levelling device will be activated by a knob or button on the car's dashboard. Most cars will come with a three/four-stage levelling adjustor.
The levelling is achieved by mounting the low-beam bulb in a motorised socket in the headlamp assembly, which will be activated by an electrical pulse generated every time the switch or knob is turned on.
The new Honda City was one of the first cars to feature the headlamp levelling mechanism even before any legislation to make it mandatory was being considered.
This device can be an extremely important aid for drivers in India, especially on the highway, where, though speed of travel has increased, the safety aspects have not yet been adequately addressed.
