16/03/2016

Welcomemeasuretocleantheair:adoptiveBharatStageVIautomotivefuelsTheHindu

OPINIONEDITORIAL

Published:January12,201601:21IST|Updated:January12,201601:21ISTJanuary12,2016

Welcomemeasuretocleantheair
TheCentresdecisiontoadoptBharatStageVIautomotivefuelsnationwidebyApril1,2020isakeymeasurethatcan,ifimplemented
properly,vastlyimproveairquality.RollingouttheBSVIstandardnationally,skippingBSV,hassignificantcostimplicationsforfuel
producersandtheautomobileindustry,butitspositiveimpactonpublichealthwouldmorethancompensatefortheinvestment.Major
pollutantssuchasfineparticulatematter,sulphurdioxide,nitrogenoxidesandcarbonmonoxideemittedbymillionsofvehiclesonIndias
roadsareseverelyaffectingthehealthofpeople,particularlychildrenwhoselungsareimmatureandhencemorevulnerable.Thousandsof
prematuredeathsandrisingratesofasthmaepisodeshighlighttheurgentneedtomakearadicalandcompleteshifttomodernfuelsand
vehicletechnologies.PastnationalpolicyofimplementationoftheBSIVfuelstandardfailedprimarilybecausethiswasnotdonealloverthe
countryandthetechnicalstandardalsopermittedahigherlevelofsulphurinthefuel.Highersulphurresultsinhighvolumesoffine
respirableparticulatesmeasuring2.5micrometres(PM2.5)beinggeneratedinemissions.Sinceeventhisobsoletestandardwasnotfollowed
uniformly,manyvehicles,especiallycommercialpassengerandfreightcarriers,havebeenusinglowerstandardfuelsuppliedoutsidebig
cities.Thishasrenderedtheircatalyticconvertersincapableofabsorbingpollutants.
Improvedairquality,especiallyinbigurbancentres,dependsonseveralfactorsinaneraoffastmotorisation.Abloatedpopulationof
vehiclesusingfossilfuelshasaffectedtravelspeeds,worseningpollutionlevels.Poorcivicgovernancehasleftroadsunpavedandpublic
spacesfilledwithdebrisandconstructiondust,constantlyrecirculatingparticulatematterintheair.Moreover,themonitoringofdiesel
passengerandcommercialvehiclesthebiggestcontributorstototalemissionsforcompliancewithemissionsregulationsremainspoor.
SucharecorddoesnotinspireconfidencethatretrofittingofoldvehiclestousehigherqualityfuelssuchasBSVIcanbeachievedsmoothly.
Equally,thedistortionsinurbandevelopmentpolicythatfacilitatetheuseofpersonalmotorisedvehiclesratherthanexpandinggoodpublic
transport,walkingandcycling,areglaring.ManyoftheseissueswereunderscoredbytheSaumitraChaudhuriCommitteeonAutoFuel
VisionandPolicy2025initsreportsubmittedin2014.Thepanelalsorecommendedappropriateleviestofundthetransitiontocleaner,low
sulphurfuels.AstudybytheIndianInstituteofTechnology,Delhionfuelpolicyandairqualityinthesameyearconcludedthatthebest
resultswouldbeachievedbyraisingthefuelstandardandintroducingpolicyinitiativesthatwouldinfluencepassengerbehaviourandcut
personaltravelkilometresby25percent.Thegovernmenthasdonewelltoadvancethedeadlineforcleanerfuelsbythreeyears.Itmust
showthesamediligenceinmakingotherpolicychangesinpartnershipwithStategovernmentstocleanuptheair.
Printableversion|Mar16,20164:34:06PM|http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/welcomemeasuretocleanthe
air/article8093156.ece
TheHindu

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