Citing an expert committee report on fuels, the State government recently told the Gujarat High Court that CNG would prove to be more harmful to the environment than diesel ‘as CNG engines emit more greenhouse gases than diesel’.
In its affidavit filed before the High Court, the State also expressed apprehension over converting all commercial as well as public transport vehicles running on diesel into CNG-run, stating that it would have major financial implications.
The affidavit came as the government’s reply to the court, which is hearing a PIL seeking the conversion of all diesel vehicles into CNG-run vehicles to reduce air pollution in the State. It was submitted to the High Court Bench comprising Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice Anant Dave.
In the affidavit, the State government cited the 2002 Mashelkar Expert Committee report to argue that CNG was not a solution. “As observed in the Mashelkar Expert Committee report on Auto Fuel Policy in India, CNG vehicles emit 20 per cent more greenhouse gases per mile when compared to diesel vehicles. From the perspective of global warming, the decision to switch to CNG from diesel is a harmful one,” the affidavit said, quoting the report.
“A CNG vehicle emits 80 per cent particulate matter and 35 per cent less hydrocarbons. However, the output of carbon monoxide is over five times more than diesel,” stated the affidavit.
“If CNG is used, there will be a reduction in particulate matter,” the government argued.
According to the government, conversion of diesel vehicles into CNG “would not serve the purpose of prevention of air pollution caused by vehicles”. “Since both the engines work in different ways, it is next to impossible to convert vehicles having diesel engine into vehicles with CNG engines.”
The Gujarat government also argued that it “has no suomotu power to convert diesel engine into CNG engine”.
The PIL, filed by environment activist DevjibhaiDhamecha in December last year, sought the conversion of all diesel-run commercial and public transport vehicles into CNG-run vehicles to reduce air pollution in the State. It pointed out that despite the directives issued by the Supreme Court as well as the Gujarat High Court in the past, the government was using diesel-run buses and had not switched to CNG as directed by the apex court.
