The Hindu Business Line : To control auto pollution in cities — TERI `session' to draft fuel choices for transport sector

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To control auto pollution in cities — TERI `session' to draft fuel choices for transport sector

Our Bureau

Kolkata , March 29

THE Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), an independent research organisation focusing on energy and environment, will be making a presentation to the Union Petroleum Ministry on fuel choices for the transport sector in major Indian cities.

In this presentation slated to be held on April 14, key Government officials are also likely to be present for a brainstorming session on the Government mandates and intervention necessary for adopting a `standard-based regime for controlling auto-pollution in Indian cities rather than mandating the use of a fuel or a technology'.

Dr Ranjan Bose, senior fellow, regulatory studies and governance division (urban & transport systems), TERI, said here that the institute advocates policy intervention by the Government with fiscal incentives to induce fuel companies to supply ultra low sulpur diesel (ULSD) which would help improve air quality in the cities.

"TERI was also in favour of the vehicle manufacturers leap-frogging their technology from Euro two to Euro four so that India did not always lag behind in fuel emission norms," he said.

"Fuel choices in the transport sector would become a critical element in determining the state of environment in India", he said while warning that it is essential for the country to come up with options that are not only scientifically effective but are also economically viable.

"Nothing could be more damaging to long-term environmental protection, than for the country to get locked into not very-viable options as it might create as a major setback for actions in the future", he remarked.

Dr Bose and his team were here in connection with a workshop on evaluation of alternative fuels and technology for buses in Indian cities.

He said that even as the use of LPG in the transport sector has been hampered by the lack of a distribution dispensing network, the environmental and health benefits of using LPG in domestic cooking far outweigh the benefits of using it as a transport fuel.

Over 70 per cent of the households in India do not have access to LPG. This creates a larger problem of indoor air pollution. This reduces the choice of significant clean fuels to CNG and ULSD.

According to a TERI study on `Fuel choices for transport and environment' (which was released here on Monday), CNG supply becomes feasible only if there is demand in other sectors such as power and fertiliser that can reduce the cost-per-unit of gas.

It is currently supplied to the transport sector only in Surat, Ankleswar, Delhi, and Mumbai. Extending its availability to cities such as Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore would imply substantial investments for CNG infrastructure, the study noted.

As for ULSD, this could be supplied through existing liquid fuel supply infrastructure with minimal investments. Introduction of this fuel would ensure that emissions from use of diesel were reduced.

Dr Bose explained that these studies on sustainable public transport have been conducted by TERI under an Indo-UK project that had four work streams.

These included evaluation of alternative fuels for buses in Mumbai. This study established for the first time that in a developing country, buses operating on ULSD with an appropriate emission control device had emissions similar to that of a CNG bus.

The second work steam highlighted the need for appropriate maintenance of vehicles for controlling vehicle emissions.

However, this would only be part of the solution and the third work stream was on encouraging greater use of public transport. The final work stream addressed issues related to development of an air quality management system for Delhi.

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