Delhi-NCR to Impose Fuel Bans on End-of-Life Vehicles to Combat Air Pollution
The government is moving ahead with its plan to deny end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) fuel access in the region in a bid to combat the worsening air pollution crisis at Delhi-NCR. The initiative is aimed at curbing air pollution and will largely target commercial vehicles, which are fitted with engines smaller than BS-VI standards. Low-standard engines of commercial vehicles have emerged as a key contributor to deteriorating air quality in the city. The move is, thus, likely to affect the adjoining states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana, which form a huge
component of pollution in Delhi-NCR.
This is part of a larger gamut of actions being taken by the government in response to this cyclical crisis of air quality, particularly over the winter seasons. Vehicular emissions, low wind speed, stubble burning, and meteorological factors all contribute to declining air quality in the region. Refusal of fuel to ELVs is now a necessary move toward reducing pollution and improving the quality of air for the citizens of Delhi-NCR.
ELVs and Role in Pollution
Any diesel vehicle older than 10 years and petrol vehicle older than 15 years in Delhi-NCR is known as ELVs. Such vehicles, after crossing their useful life, are no longer registered legally and are highly polluting. As the government continues to progress with its endeavor to reduce pollution, fuel stations in Delhi will be required to install automatic number plate recognition. This technology would ensure that any such unscrupulous vehicle not strictly adhering to the BS-VI emission standard gets flagged with its fuel withheld. The move is likely going to be set up in February, officials indicated.
These measures form part of the overall package that the government is proposing to introduce for management of the everyday air quality crisis in Delhi-NCR. Generally, the air quality peaks during the stubble burning season and once again during December-January mainly due to vehicular emissions and unfavourable meteorological conditions. Fuel availability curbs to ELVs is an immediate response to these challenges, thereby reducing vehicular pollution, and improving the air quality.
BS-VI Emission Standards and Its Effects
BS Emissions are Bharat Stage emission standards. They classify the output from air pollutants on an internal combustion engine vehicle operating in India. BS-VI is very imperative for the government as it brought in the guidelines to manufacture and sell only vehicles compliant with BS-VI. Only registration for vehicles certified to BS-VI standards was offered after April 1, 2020. This also brings BS-VI close to the Euro 6 norms and has reduced the deadly emissions. BS-VI fuels contain lesser sulfur than its predecessors and would lower sulfur content by about 80% for reducing harmful sulfur oxides that damage both the environment and human health.
BS-VI standards also focus on NOx emission, which is the most predominant in diesel vehicles. NOx significantly contributes to respiratory disorders and long-term health issues. NOx levels in diesel vehicles will be nearly 70% and in petrol, nearly 25%. This will provide clean air in pollution-prone areas such as Delhi-NCR.
Hurdles in BS-VI Standards Implementation
Although implementation of BS-VI emission norms was somewhat necessary for improvement in air quality, it was done with some hue and cry. Actually, the government had objected to the acceleration of BS-VI fuels announced by the government; it was because of fear that they, as an industry, would be facing unsold stock of BS-IV vehicles. It had already announced in 2016 that it would skip BS-V and directly adopt BS-VI norms by 2020. This is a confusing news for the automobile sector as most of the companies take decisions on production strategies much in advance.
Despite all these challenges, the Ministry of Petroleum went ahead with the induction of BS-VI fuels and scheduled the induction of BS-VI fuel in Delhi as early as April 2018. This was yet another step towards reducing increased air pollution in the national capital. However, this transition has brought about logistical problems for automobile manufacturers and fuel distributors in the face of the present global pandemic and the disruptions that go along with it.
Impact on Automobile Industry
In Indian automobile market BS-VI regulations were highly looked after. It is a pretty huge impact size regarding Indian’s automotive industrial sector. Such advancement generates some drastic shifts in the vehicle manufacturing portfolio by some of the major car majors. For example, Maruti, the foremost country’s home-grown automotive company has suspended its diesel-range cars. It has even shrank smaller displacement diesel engines to its product category. As more automobile manufacturers adapt to the new levels, the interest has shifted more towards producing clean, fuel-economic vehicles that pass the BS-VI standards. This is considered a movement toward cleaner automobiles.
The other impact of these new standards on the environment pertains to pollution due to vehicular emissions. As there is assumed to be cleaner fuel, pollution level is presumed to decrease in the long run. There are very stringent norms for emissions. However, this will not be the solution to face this crisis of air pollution in Delhi-NCR. Tackling the no. of vehicles and industrial emissions would require a multi-pronged approach, along with addressing agricultural pollution through stubble burning.
Conclusion:
Besides reducing fuel usage of the non-compliant vehicles, this government is focusing on a broad range of controls to be undertaken across Delhi-NCR to control the air pollution index. Alongside BS-VI, the administration will also concentrate on promoting the use of electrical vehicles, upgrading public transport as well as facilitating clean technologies utilization by industries. Such steps reduce the reliance on polluting vehicles and bring forth sustainable alternatives that have to put in place against the current day crisis of air quality.
Whether or not these measures will make the overall air of Delhi-NCR any cleaner only time will tell as the authorities would proceed to implement these measures to cut fuel for old vehicles. Widespread and proper implementation on a large scale and public acceptance and cooperation would work wonders for this, and emission reduction will cover all the key sources of pollutants, including vehicle emissions.
Source: Mint, Business Standard, The Indian Express.