India needs advanced vehicle emission and fuel quality norms, says TERI study

New Delhi, January 2014: To raise public awareness and engage policy makers, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), TERI University and The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) today officially unveiled the findings of three studies conducted on vehicular emission control in India.

In his opening remarks, Dr R K Pachauri, director general of TERI, said, “Due to a rapid increase in vehicle population, the quality of air is deteriorating in India. To create awareness of the seriousness of this problem to, we need more sustainable transportation and traffic management, a clear roadmap to improve vehicle efficiency through technological changes happening globally as well as improvement of fuel quality.”

Growing per capita income levels, competitive markets and lack of effective public transportation systems have contributed to a growth in personal vehicles in India. In 2011, about 28,000 two-wheelers and 4,200 cars were added every day to the existing vehicle parc. Given the low penetration of vehicles in India, compared to developed markets, this growth will continue for the decade to come.

The study titled ‘Benefits of advancement of vehicle emission and fuel quality norms in India’ has it that emissions are going to grow manifold and at present 80 percent of Indian cities violate the standards of prescribed air quality. Therefore, to bring down future ambient pollution levels, it is imperative to have stringent vehicular emission and fuel quality.

The second study was titled ‘India Retrospective Study’ from The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), a US-based not-for-profit research organisation. Anup Bandivadekar, Program Lead Passenger Vehicles ICCT and co-author of the study, while talking to Autocar Professional said that “India falls behind not only the developed countries but also developing countries such as Brazil, South Africa, Thailand and China in terms of auto fuel policy and technology.”

He said: “From the air pollution point of view, the most important thing India can do is to supply low sulphur fuel of 10 parts per million (PPM) and adopt BS VI emission norms standards. Typically it would have been done in a phased manner by supplying 50 PPM fuel by 2015 and 10 PPM across the country in the next 2-3 years. However, since a lot of time has already been squandered in the past few years as there is no clear roadmap, India can leapfrog to Euro 6 norms for the entire range of vehicles.”

Autocar Professional had first revealed the ICCT report which says that rapid adoption of ultra-low sulphur fuels and BS VI vehicle emission standards would dramatically improve India’s air quality to the benefit of public health.

The key recommendation of the studies are a focus on implementation of BS IV fuel quality and vehicle emission standards by 2015, BS V fuels and emission standards by 2017 as well as BS VI by 2019. Commissioning of an effective inspection and maintenance standards across the country is needed and also to replace the present PUC systems. To move towards harmonized driving cycles, initiatives to reduce energy demand from the auto sector, advance to Euro norms for two- and three-wheelers and adoption of separate norms for HC and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are imperative.

KIRAN BAJAD

Also see: ‘Clearing the air on vehicular emissions in India’

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