The Hindu : Euro-III emission norms recommended by 2005

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Thursday, Sep 26, 2002

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Euro-III emission norms recommended by 2005

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 25. The Mashelkar committee on national auto fuel policy has recommended Euro-III emission norms by 2005 and Euro-IV norms by 2010 to reduce vehicular pollution in its final report submitted here today. It was also believed to have suggested that work should begin on implementing the recommendations of the report by January, after a series of widespread consultations with all stakeholders.

The committee, which submitted its final report to the Petroleum Minister, Ram Naik, envisages an investment of Rs. 55,000 crores to implement its proposals. It has also proposed enlarging Bharat Stage-II emission norms for vehicles in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Surat, Kanpur and Agra by April 2003. Now, Bharat Stage-II emission norms are applicable only in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

The report says Euro-III equivalent emission norms for all private vehicles, city public service vehicles and city commercial vehicles should be implemented from April 1, 2005. It also proposes that Euro-IV equivalent emission norms should come into force from April 1, 2010. While accepting the report, Mr. Naik said the Government would study it in two months and announce a roadmap for its implementation shortly afterwards. Current estimates are that the oil industry would need to make investments of around Rs. 18,000 crores up to 2005 and additional Rs. 12,000 crores by 2010 in oil refineries. The investments by auto industry are estimated to be around Rs. 25,000 crores for meeting the recommended vehicular emission norms by 2010, the report said.

Recommending upgradation of petrol and diesel to meet vehicular emission norms, the panel suggested use of CNG/LPG on "sustainable basis'' in cities where the vehicular pollution was high.

It has estimated that by implementing its recommendations, vehicular pollution load in the major cities would reduce by up to 60 per cent from the pollution levels in 2002, inspite of the 50 per cent increase in the traffic load in 2010.

It has identified Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Kanpur, Surat and the "environmentally sensitive'' Agra as the cities where the next stage of vehicular norms should be introduced. The report is to be put on the website of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas by the month-end so that the stakeholders and the general public could give their suggestions. Once the suggestions are in, they would be analysed and incorporated before being placed before the Union Cabinet for its final approval. The entire process is expected to be completed by January.

Later speaking to The Hindu, the Chairman of the panel, R.A. Mashelkar, said though the use of CNG was important to reduce air pollution, it was not the only factor.

A study commissioned by the committee has, for instance, found that 84 to 88 per cent of the reduction in the auto exhaust particulate matter load since 1996 was due to improvements in vehicle technology and fuel quality and only 12 to 16 per cent due to the usage of CNG.

The study was conducted jointly by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, the Indian Institute of Petroleum, and the Central Road Research Institute.

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