Is diesel really dirty? Is slapping a green tax on vehicles that run on the fuel the right way to control air pollution and smog in and around the national capital?
It's true pollution and smog levels are on the rise. But the solution to these problems don't necessarily lie in taxing diesel cars higher, auto industry players say. Policy planners will need to look at other contributors, including use of diesel generator sets and the construction boom.
A recent Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) study throws up important findings. Vehicles, it says, contribute 6.6% to particulate emissions (PM) in Delhi. Road dust is the biggest contributor at 52.5%. Industries around Delhi and in neighbouring states account for as much as 22% of particulate emissions, while 19% is because of its geography.
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), a lobby group for automakers, cites this CPCB report and adds personal vehicles constitute an even smaller proportion of the overall vehicles category. "Diesel technology in cars and SUVs is clean and fuel-efficient . Most of the PM discharge attributed to vehicles is from old trucks that enter Delhi. They run on outdated engines," Vishnu Mathur, Siam DG, says.
Siam talks of an "urgent need" to modernise commercial vehicles and wants quick implementation of stringent Bharat Stage IV (BSIV) norms across the country. "We have BSIV in 20 cities. The next phase of expansion is in 2015, when 50 more cities will be upgraded," Mathur says.
The story in Europe, where diesel is the preferred fuel, is an eye-opener . The diesel Europeans use is super refined, often considered greener than petrol. Importantly, in the continent, diesel cars must conform to Euro V emission standards . In India, we are way behind at BS IV. Carmakers insist they can introduce more efficient car engines once the government raises the bar and implements tougher emission standards. The need of the hour, they say, is a clear roadmap.
When BSIII norms were in force in India, the permissible particulate matter discharge was 0.05 grams/km for diesel cars. It's fallen to 0.025 grams/km under BSIV. Emission levels of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide have come down in the BSIV regime . "Why are we taking so long for the full BSIV rollout when the norms will lead to improvement in engine quality and cut emissions," Mathur asks.
Siam dismisses suggestions that Delhi's worsening air quality is because of the rise in diesel car numbers. "It's a wrong argument. The same norms and technology existed in Europe till 2005. They didn't have the kind of smog we do."