India notifies BS VI emission standards, experts welcome move

The Times of India , Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Correspondent : Jayashree Nandi
NEW DELHI: In a move that could bring major relief from severe air pollution in cities and towns after 2020, the union ministry of road transport and highways has notified the implementation of BS VI emission standards.

The notification came into effect on September 16, it states that it will apply to vehicles manufactured on or after April 1, 2020. Clean fuel along with better public transport infrastructure is being seen as major solutions to the air pollution crisis in India.

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) welcomed the move, it observed that the notification advances action against air pollution by several years as the initial plan was to adopt it only in 2024-25. India will skip BS V emission standards altogether and move directly to BS VI instead in 2020.

Emissions benefits from this move can be significant, said AnumitaRoychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). "In case of cars, the particulate matter (PM) norm will reduce by 82% and nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 68%; PM and NOx emissions from two-wheelers will reduce by 89% and 76%, respectively; and PM and NOx emissions from trucks and buses will drop by 50% and 89%, respectively," an analysis by CSE stated.

There are many positives to adoption of BS VI standards—it can nearly bridge the gap between diesel and petrol emissions. Under the current BS IV emission standards, diesel cars are allowed to emit three times more NOx than petrol vehicles. CSE highlighted that along with in -service regulations, from April 2020 on road emissions will be monitored with portable emission monitoring systems (PEMS) which can prevent emission cheating instances like the Volkswagen controversy, according to researchers. For the first time particulate matter emission standards and on-board diagnostic systems for two-wheelers and three wheelers will be enforced.

"This is a game-changer decision and will help India leapfrog to much cleaner emissions. India thus takes the lead among developing countries in taking this step. The number of vehicles that India will add in the next decade is more than twice the current vehicle stock in the country. This will reduce time lag with Europe to six years in 2020 and lower the pollution impacts of the new vehicle fleet considerably.

This is a much needed step to cut the toxic risk in all our cities and towns," added Anumita but also warned that the benefits can be gained only if the automobile industry allowed the implementation of the standards in the same timeframe.

AnupBandivadekar, programme director at US based International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) described the notification as a "big step forward!" in a tweet.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/India-notifies-BS-VI-emission-standards-experts-welcome-move/articleshow/54411589.cms
 


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