GOVT DECLARES WAR ON POLLUTION, TO LEAPFROG TO BS-VI FROM APRIL 2020

The Pioneer , Thursday, January 07, 2016
Correspondent :
In yet another move to curb vehicular pollution, the Centre on Wednesday decided to straightaway implement stricter emission norms of Bharat Stage (BS) VI from April 1, 2020, by skipping BS-V. At present, BS-IV is followed in parts of India and by April 1, 2017, the whole of the country is scheduled to be covered under it.

The decision to jump to BS-VI was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. The meeting was attended by Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Heavy Industries Minister AnantGeete and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.

“The Government has decided to leapfrog from BS-IV to BS-VI directly by April 1, 2020. We have decided to skip BS-V emission norms. It is a bold decision and a commitment to environment. I appeal to automobile manufacturers to cooperate in the larger interest of the country,” said Gadkari, adding Indian refiners will need to make investments to the tune of `30,000 crore in order to supply BS VI compliant fuels.

A Government-commissioned panel had earlier suggested implementation of BS-VI norms from 2024, but to bring down the level of pollution as per the Paris climate change summit, it has been decided to advance the dates by four years.

The auto firms, however, red-flagged the decision contending that jumping directly to BS-VI would not give them enough time to adopt necessary design and technology changes.

They have also questioned the ability of oil marketing companies to provide fuel for Bharat-VI vehicles.

Automobile industry body SIAM, which has been opposing the skipping of BS-V to jump to BS VI, said it would comment only after seeing the notification. The development comes at a time when air pollution, especially in the national Capital, has become a major issue. While Delhi is currently observing the odd-even scheme, the Supreme Court has cracked down on diesel vehicles by banning registration of diesel cars and SUVs with engines above 2,000 cc.

BS emission is a standard that regulates the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engine equipment, including motor vehicles. India has been following European emission norms, though with a time lag of five years, with BS-IV norms currently applicable in 33 cities where the required grade of fuel is available while the rest of the country follows BS-III standards.

Four years after its introduction in metro cities, the penetration of BS-IV petrol in the domestic market is just 24 per cent and that for BS-IV-grade high speed diesel 16 per cent. Stage by stage India first introduced vehicular emission norms in 1991 and tightened those in 1996, with most vehicle manufacturers made to incorporate technology upgrades such as a catalytic converter to reduce exhaust emission.

 
SOURCE : http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/govt-declares-war-on-pollution-to-leapfrog-to-bs-vi-from-april-2020.html
 


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