These and other disturbing facts -which have a direct bearing on air pollution in the region -have come to light in an audit of pollution checking centres in Delhi-NCR by the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), conducted at the behest of the Supreme Court. EPCA recommends, the annual insurance of vehicles be linked with PUC certificates as a way to ensure 100% compliance with pollution norms in Delhi-NCR. Apart from abysmally low compliance levels and poor testing standards, the EPCA audit also found that data on vehicles undergoing PUC tests was not being properly maintained and there was hardly any monitoring of rules.

The report, which is in the draft stage and is now being expanded to add more towns, shows a shockingly low compliance rate for PUC testing in the NCR towns studied till date. The report cites data supplied by Delhi transport department for the period November 2016 to January 2017, which says 1.37 million PUC tests were conducted. The total number of vehicles in Delhi was 6.47 million as on August 2016.

Taking into account the number of BS-IV and preBS-IV vehicles, as well as the break-up of two, three and four-wheelers, the report says, "The number of PUC tests to be conducted per quarter should be at least 5.91 million." The compliance rate is thus a dismal 23.2%. "A large number of vehicles in Delhi, around three out of every four vehicles, remain outside the PUC testing network," the re port concludes.

That's not all. The testing methodology too was found to be lax, which has resulted in low fail rates across NCR. While the failure rate -the number of vehicles failing the emission test-is 4.69% overall, it's a spectacularly low 0.49% in NCR towns of Uttar Pradesh. In fact, in UP, the failure rate of two-wheelers is only 0.39% and that of fourwheelers, 0.59%.

Incredibly, 43.92% of vehicles tested, which were preBharat Stage IV, had smoke density values between 0-10 HSU -which makes these vehicles super clean in terms of emissions. Pre-BS-IV vehicles are allowed smoke density values up to 65 HSU, while for BS-IV it is 50 HSU. Only 1.14% of BS-IV vehicles were found to be in the 50 HSU range.

In Delhi, the testing quality was hardly any better. The fail rate for diesel vehicles in Delhi was a meagre 1.61% while for petrol vehicles, it was 5.18%. Only 4.65% of vehicles running on a different fuel failed the emission test.

Delhi's PUC data showed nearly all diesel vehicles tested were below 50 HSU. More than three-fifth of diesel vehicles had smoke density values that were as less as 60% of the norm set for BS-IV vehicles.Shockingly, 20% of the 12 lakh petrol vehicles whose data was shared had zero carbon monoxide values, while 88% of two and four-wheelers apparently meet the stringent standards for hydrocarbon emissions.

Few state governments seem to have adequate data, not even a cumulative list of the percentage of vehicles complying with PUC rules.The draft report says that in most NCR towns, data-keeping is purely manual. Records of the number of vehicles tested, registration details and year of manufacture are maintained although actual tested emission levels of both diesel and petrol vehicles is not available in most districts.

As the draft report says, "Poor quality of PUC databases has restricted the scope of this assessment."

The report finds a number of other lapses, including illmaintained equipment, lack of documentation on calibration of equipment as well as fake certificates. It recommends standardising periodicity of PUC certificates; introducing automatic online network of transmission of PUC data to a central server to minimise interference and allow for proper analysis and strengthening inspection of PUC centres for quality control. It also suggests overhauling the emission tests and tightening norms for diesel vehicles.

Ironically, EPCA had in 2003 carried out a similar exercise for the Supreme Court, which had revealed systemic problems with the PUC programme. The draft audit report states: "The new assessment shows that while several of the systemic problems have continued, newer challenges have emerged." The EPCA has now asked for more data from the various state governments, as well as broadened the scope of the study by auditing more NCR towns, said an EPCA member. "The report will be finalised and completed by end of April," the official said.