Emission norms

Clean fuels need compliant technologies in vehicles to be effective. It is not enough then if oil companies are able to put Bharat Stage IV (BS IV) fuels in the market if vehicles with appropriate engines are not there to make optimal use of them. The oil majors are ready to introduce BS IV and BS III — fuel emission gradations which are relatively cleaner — fuels and this was conveyed by the ministry of petroleum and natural gas. The transport ministry wants implementation of the new emission standards to be deferred by six months because auto manufacturers are not yet ready with matching engines. This is more than an inter-ministerial tussle and the playing out of conflicting interests.  

India is passing through a veritable auto revolution with the number of cars and other vehicles growing by the million every year. The country is literally on wheels. But this comes with a price tag in terms of an alarming rise in emission levels that are a health hazard for urban dwellers. Of course, this is not the only problem posed by affluence, as reflected in the growth of car-owners. There are the traffic snarls in city centres and there are clogged highways. But a cleaner environment has become a top-of-the-agenda issue for more than one reason. There is the overarching climate change problem. The more tangible one is the need for clean air in cities.

The emission standards question is complicated and requires a coordinated approach which goes beyond governmental agencies. There is need for auto manufacturers and oil companies to talk to each other and not just through ministry channels. Fuel efficiency is now an integral part of auto engineering and a communication channel between the two would be better for all.

The government, for its part, can avoid compromises like allowing different emission standards for different cities. The BS IV standards are now applicable only in 14 cities while the rest of the Tier I cities and towns will have to comply with BS III. The compulsions behind a phased approach are understandable but they create enough complications and confusion as well. There is no reason why the metros and bigger cities should have better emission norms than smaller ones. The country needs to move towards a single zone in terms of emission standards. Turf battles and administrative tinkering will not be of much help. A round-table approach is the way to solve this problem.