The Centre has notified the Bharat Stage (BS)-VI emission standards for two-wheelers and four-wheelers from April 2020 across the country.
With this, the government has decided to skip the BS-V emission standards and move directly to BS-VI from the BS-IV norms currently being followed in various cities.
Automobile makers have urged the government to make available the testing BS-VI compliant fuel a year sooner across the country.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, through a notification dated September 16, has given the Union Petroleum Ministry four years to make BS-VI fuels available to auto companies.
Oil companies will be investing more than Rs.60,000 crore towards BS-VI fuels. BS-VI is the Indian equivalent of the Euro-VI norms. At present, BS-IV norms are being followed in over 30 cities while the rest of the country followBS-III norms.
‘Stiff deadline’The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said in a statement here on Monday that it was committed to meet the “stiff” deadline for BS-VI emission norms.
“The target is very stiff but the auto industry has accepted the challenge in view of the rising concerns on vehicular pollution, especially in the urban metros,” Vinod Dasari, President, SIAM, said in a press statement. However, Mr. Dasari cautioned the government that “once the industry has chosen to go down the path of leapfrogging the emission norms, this roadmap should not be changed or delayed midway for any reason.” The government had earlier planned to implement BS-V norms from 2020 and BS-VI norms from 2022. However, it decided to skip BS-V norms and advance the implementation of BS-VI norms following the Supreme Court’s intervention.
