Delhi:
Clean myth shattered: NO2 on rise: According to the Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB), the nitrogen dioxide levels have increased at a rate of 15% between 2002 and
2003. The increase has been seen across residential, industrial areas and traffic
intersections. "Though the buses have been converted to CNG, the number of diesel
vehicles are increasing. The share of diesel vehicles has gone up from 4% in 1999 to 16%
in 2003," said CSE's co-ordinator for Right to Clean Air Campaign, Anumita Roy
Chowdhury. Additionally, the increment in the annual sale of diesel cars is as much as
106%, Chowdhury added.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 17/4/2004
Vehicle population contributing to respiratory diseases: Modernisation
and increase in automobiles are responsible for the rise in respiratory diseases. About 10
per cent of India's population suffer from respiratory diseases, according to World Health
Organisation`s statistics. In 10-15 years, there could be an asthma epidemic, says R.
Narasimhan, chairman, Respiratory Research Foundation of India. The foundation recently
studied 800 school students and found that seven per cent complained of recurrent
infections such as cough and cold.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai, 12/4/2004
Clean the air, let us breathe, then talk about voting: It's been decades
since the people of Palasa-Kasibugga have seen the sun rise, because the sky so sooty, the
sun hardly ever shows up at a dawn. There's a strange sense of numbness in the air as the
skyline always looks gloomy. Blame 147 cashew-burning units that operate in Kasibugga
(Andhra Pradesh). To see a clear sky, one needs to travel at least 5 km out of these twin
towns in Sompeta constituency in Srikakulam district. Clean the air, let us breathe, is
the voters' battle cry here. For, they are truly agitated. "We are fed up with false
promises. Each election they tell us they'll clean up this place. Then nothing
happens," says a resident.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 5/4/2004
Delhites prone to respiratory disorders: Beware! Vehicular pollution is
choking the respiratory tracts of Delhites and the residents of Kolkata putting them at a
greater risk of suffering from diseases like impaired lung function and cancers. A study
on respiratory and systemic effects of air pollution being conducted by the Chittaranjan
National Cancer Institute in Kolkata shows that a large majority of urban adults and
children in Delhi and Kolkata examined had symptoms of underlying respiratory illness.
"The physical as well as the mental health of the citizens are at a risk," is
how the study summarises the findings. In the capital for the international conference on
the "Leap Frog Factor: Towards Clean Air In Asian Cities," Dr Lahiri said that
the study was being carried out with the objective to prepare a database on air pollution
related respiratory changes among the citizens of two of the most polluted cities in
India.
Source: The Asian Age, New Delhi, 2/4/2004
Pollution up even as petrol use falls: City can breathe easy, but the
State can't. Figures show that the consumption of petrol and diesel is on the decline in
the city. No such luck for the State as a whole, though. "As long as 1.25 lakh
vehicles are annually added to our road, fuel consumption won't go downhill," CLN
Gandhi, RTA joint transport commissioner says. "Twin cities already have about 15
lakhs vehicles," he adds.
Source: The New Indian Express, Hyderabad, 20/2/2004
^Top |
|
| ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND TECHNOLOGY |
Administration
told to introduce CNG-based autorickshaws: While the three-wheeler autorickshaws
in the town have been a synonym of the increasing air pollution and a cause of heavy
congestion on the main roads, their owners, too, are not happy with the present conditions
governing their plying. They have even asked the local administration to introduce the
clean fuel on pattern of Delhi to get a control over the pollution menace. The measures
announced earlier by the district administration to check the problems connected with the
plying of the three-wheeler autorickshaws here has not been able to bring the desired
results.
Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 17/4/2004
Delhi: Drivers breathe easy under CNG: The introduction of compressed
natural gas (CNG) buses in the Capital has led to a definite improvement in the health of
the drivers-- especially those of the Delhi Transport Corporation- as very few of them are
now reporting breathing problems which were aggravated by diesel fumes earlier. The Chief
Medical officer of DTC, V.K. Srivastava said, ever since CNG buses have started running on
city routes the drivers have been complaining less about ailments like whopping cough,
bronchitis or asthma.
Source: The Hindu, New Delhi, 10/4/2004
100 CNG autos begin plying in Vadodara: Exactly 100 autorickshaws in
Vadodara in Gujarat have now agreed to go green. In an ambitious move, the Vadodara
Autorickshaw Union, which functions under the Vadodara chapter of INTUC, has readied 100
operators to convert to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The union, which till a few months
back was in search of a financier, has convinced a co-operative bank to give them soft
loans.
Source: The Times of India, Ahmedabad, 31/3/2004
States drag feet on way to CNG break: Four years is all it will take for
the country to get ''free and plentiful'' CNG as 24 cities get hooked on to the National
Gas Grid. Only not many of these cities know about this, struggling as they are with
pollution levels in the absence of strict implementation of norms. The Environment
Protection Control Authority (EPCA) is now writing to cities on GAIL's 'Operation Blue
Sky'. Clean-up programmes will have to be tailored according to these estimates, EPCA
authorities say. Most cities are lagging behind in planning and might not be able to
incorporate the changes. At a three-day CSE workshop on ''The Leapfrog Factor: Towards
Clean Air in Asian Cities'', most pollution control representatives from other cities
showed how poor their planning is when urgent intervention is required to combat air
pollution. These cities are nowhere close to what Delhi was seven years ago in their
planning.
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, 2/4/2004
Ahmedabad to have 245 CNG stations in 3 years: Minister: The Gujarat
Government will set up 245 CNG filling stations between Vapi to Vadnagar in next two to
three years, said minister of state for energy Saurabh Dalal said. Addressing a seminar
organised by Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation, the minister said natural gas needs to
tapped so that it could be used as vehicular fuel. CNG is a cheap fuel option and the
government is removing all hurdles in implementing the Supreme Court ruling by June 1.
Chairman of GSPC C K Koshy citing a study conducted by the Delhi-based Centre for Science
and Environment for the World Health Organisation said, "The savings on healthcare
alone in Delhi is to the tune of Rs 100 crore annually by converting to CNG mode."
Source: The Asian Age, New Delhi, 24/2/2004
World Bank help for CNG project: With public transport vehicles due to be
converted from petrol and diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG), the Gujarat government
is planning to seek Rs 1,500 crore assistance from the World Bank.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi, 24/2/2004
CNG leakage may be health hazard: Study: A pilot study on DTC's CNG buses
conducted by a team of Manesar-based experts and submitted to Delhi Transport Minister
Haroon Yusuf is to be forwarded by the Ministry to the State Transport Authority and DTC
for implementation. The study has raised the issue of unchecked pollution and leakages by
CNG buses. According to the team, if the catalytic converter installed in CNG buses is not
replaced every 80,000 to 1,00,000 km, gases including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and
unburnt carbon will be released instead of being burnt in the exhaust, causing health
hazards. The study conducted has also dealt with the issues of the increased life of
vehicles, saving of fuel and safety of commuters.
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, 24/2/2004
Full CNG conversion may take three years: Sinha: According to the
secretary, Maharashtra has just 10 workshops, which can not retrofit the old trucks to CNG
mode within a short period, which the Bombay High Court may grant by extension of
deadline. The transport ministry is infuriated with the truckers and tempo-operators for
not specifying the exact number of 'outdated' vehicles or some solution could have been
found, Rajiv Sinha, State Transport Secretary said.
Source: The Free Press Journal, Meerut, 17/2/2004
Maruti rolls out omni cargo LPG: Eyeing the lower end of the light
commercial vehicle (LCV) segment, Maruti Udyog launched an LPG (liquefied petroleum gas)
variant of the Omni Cargo priced at Rs 1.78 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The Omni Cargo LPG
is eligible for an excise duty concession from the government as it is powered by a clean
fuel, says a company release. It will attract an excise levy of 16 per cent compared with
24 per cent for similar vehicles run on conventional fuels.
Source: The Financial Express, New Delhi, 19/3/2004
Auto drivers fret over LPG conversion kits: The auto drivers of Bangalore
City, who kept off the road, have more than one grouse against the Transport Department.
The drivers seem to be unaware of the prevailing prices of the government approved LPG
retrofit engines (LPG kit) and are apprehensive that the existing refuel stations will not
suffice the requirements of 60,000 autos in the City. According to a notification issued
by the Transport Department on January 15, there are 24 approved LPG kit manufacturing
companies and that the owners of the autos should mandatorily fit the approved kits.
Source: Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 25/2/2004
Biofuels
Mercedes hits the road on biodiesel:
Tour of India, the first phase of Daimler Chrysler India Ltd's cross-country drive with
the Mercedes Benz C Class running on biodiesel generated from Jatropha plants, was flagged
off in Pune. The 5,000-km drive will cover hard terrain, including the tortuous Western
Ghats, the humid coasts of South India and the dry arid deserts of Rajasthan and the flats
of Gujarat. The company would also conduct tests for emission properties, and power and
drive systems compatibility during the run. The official said emission tests had been
conducted for biodiesel and it could meet Euro II norms as it had very little particulate
emission.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 6/4/2004
Centre to go ahead with production of bio-diesel: In an effort to reduce
air-pollution and bring down, in the long-term, fuel costs, the Centre has decided to go
ahead with the production of bio-diesel. During a recent inter-ministerial meeting
attended by a number of senior scientists from various institutes, the first steps towards
production of bio-diesel were taken. All the participants expressed their keen interest in
the early introduction of bio-diesel by 'transesterification' of jatropha oil or other
non-edible oil. Five major institutes are participating in the development work. They are
the Indian Institute of Petroleum Dehra doon, the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology
at Hyderabad, the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore, Indian Institute of
Technology, New Delhi and Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.
Source: The Statesman, New Delhi, 3/3/2004
Bio-diesel venture in A.P.: Bio diesel is generally accepted as an
eco-friendly, bio degradable product, which has wide acceptance, and can be blended with
diesel in varying proportions or used as a 100 per cent replacement for conventional
diesel. The first commercial venture of its kind in the country called Southern Biofe Bio
Fuels is proposed to be set up in Andhra Pradesh. The plant will be extracting oil from
inputs such as pongamia, jetropha, neem or rice brawn.
Source: The Hindu, New Delhi, 26/2/2004
Ethanol-mixed petrol launch now set for April 15: The launch of
ethanol-mixed petrol in Tamil Nadu, which has missed deadlines since January 2003, is now
set for April 15. The eco-friendly fuel is, however, likely to be introduced only in a few
districts, as the State Government has decided to cap the supply of ethanol to oil
companies at 20,000 kilolitres in 2004-05.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai, 26/3/2004
Rs 800 crore bio-diesel project okayed: The Planning Commission has
approved a Rs 800-crore project for establishing extensive plantations of jatropha. Oil
extracted from the plant can be used for producing bio-diesel. The project will be
implemented by the National Oilseeds and Vegetable Oils Development Board (Novod), an
autonomous body under the agriculture ministry. This project is based on the
recommendation of a task force on the development of bio-fuels constituted by the Planning
Commission. It had submitted its report in July 2003. The Novod is already promoting the
cultivation of jatropha and karanja, the two most important bio-fuel producing plants.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi, 19/3/2004
^Top
Meet
on roadmap to tap hydrogen: The National Hydrogen Energy Board met for the first
time at the India Habitat Centre. The Board was constituted by the Ministry of
Non-Conventional Energy Resources to prepare a road map to adopt hydrogen as an energy
source. The Centre has allocated Rs 100 crore for the project, said officials. Making a
presentation on the occasion, Dr S.K. Chopra, senior advisor to the Ministry, said India
needs to develop a vision for hydrogen energy in order to compete with world leaders like
USA, Japan, Iceland and Germany. He said that even a small country like Iceland has been
using hydrogen as a source of energy on a large-scale and it's time for India to think on
similar lines.
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, 24/2/2004
Hydrogen-run cars in 3 years: Tata: The Tatas have pledged to develop
hydrogen-run auto vehicles in the next few years that will revolutionise the Indian auto
market. The hydrogen-run cars may run on the roads in the next three-four years. Since
instead of working on the fuel cell technology, on which the USA and Europe are working,
the Tatas will work on the modification of internal combustion engines in the present
vehicles that can be run on hydrogen fuel itself.
Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 24/2/2004
^Top
|
|
Delhi: Trucks openly flout SC ruling:
Every night, a caravan of 60,000 trucks passes through the city. They are poorly
maintained, run on high sulphur diesel and cause air pollution. What's more, these trucks
enter the city in contravention to a Supreme Court order, which banned any trucks not
carrying goods for the city, to pass through. When the Environment Protection Authority's
(EPA) Bhure Lal and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) director Sunita Narain
conducted an inspection after the SC order, they found that it was being flouted.
"The trucks found the alternative route lengthy hence would get across the border by
bribing," Bhure Lal said. What is of significance, however, is that these trucks run
on diesel five times more polluting than the fuel available in the city.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 9/4/2004
Directive and deadline bite the dust: New pollution under control (PUC)
checking system for all categories of vehicles to be put in place by April 1, 2004…
Finalisation of plans by the state government for augmentation of city public transport
system, not later than April 1, 2004… This was the time-line set by the national auto
fuel policy for in-use vehicles in 10 cities, including Calcutta, in October 2003. And
there was everything official about it - formulated by the Union ministry of petroleum and
natural gas and approved by the Cabinet. But the Bengal government has hardly moved a
muscle to meet the two April '04 deadlines. And those partially responsible for cleaning
the Calcutta air remain clueless about both directive and deadline.
Source: The Telegraph, Kolkata, 7/4/2004
PUC certification a joke, we got one for the DCP: The only time one can
breathe fresh air in Ahmedabad is early in the morning before vehicles swoop on the roads.
But those not zealous enough to avail the privilege have no choice but to battle through
the smoke blanket, which has earned the city the title of 'the most polluted in the
country'. An attempt to tackle the situation by issuing by issuing Pollution Under Control
(PUC) certificates that have to be updated every six months, has failed miserably.
Source: The Times of India, Ahmedabad, 4/4/2004
Scrapping of vehicles never an issue in combating auto pollution:
Scrapping of vehicles was never thought of as a means of controlling auto pollution, the
West Bengal Director of Public Vehicles Department and Joint Secretary, State Transport
Department, Mr H. Mohan said. Addressing a workshop on Bharat II: Reality and Illusions,
he said that scrapping of vehicles can never be ordered without causing major problems.
"Scrapping was never an issue at any forum, he said categorically", adding that
any vehicle would be allowed to run irrespective of its age as long as it conformed to the
emission standards stipulated by the Centre. These take effect from October 2. No age
limit has been fixed for the running vehicles by the order, he said.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 5/4/2004
Transporters strike down CNG offer: Weeks before the expiry of the April
2 deadline on Bharat Stage II compliance, a crucial meeting between minister Subhas
Chakraborty and transport operators today ended in a deadlock. The vehicle owners are
still reluctant to replace old engines with ones that meet the new norms. At the Netaji
indoor stadium meeting, they refused to attach imported devices to make the engines CNG
compatible as suggested by some officials.
Source: The Telegraph, Kolkata, 17/3/2004
Bharat II norms extension sought: The West Bengal Government has decided
move the High Court seeking extension of the deadline for implementing Bharat Stage II
norms. The Calcutta High Court has fixed April 2, as the deadline for implementation of
Bharat Stage II norms.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 12/3/2004
Government to invest Rs 1,600 crore in new auto testing units: The
Government is planning to invest upwards of Rs 1,600 crore towards setting up two new
testing centres in the country on the lines of the Automobile Research Association of
India (ARAI). According to Government sources, one centre would be in the North and the
other in the South and would be ready for use by the end of fiscal 2006-07. Work has
already started on the centre in North India, which would be located at Manesar in
Haryana, with the Government already sanctioning about Rs 49 crore. The Centres would be
equipped with the proving ground and state-of-art crash testing facilities, which are at
present not available in the country. Further, it would also encompass research and
development labs for automobiles and automotive components.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 26/2/2004
Warning to PUC centres against malpractices: The Pollution Under Control
certification process devised to keep check on vehicles for pollution level will now be
under scrutiny. In a meeting attended by more than 125 people manning the PUC centres in
Ahmedabad city, DCP Vikas Sahaya and transport commissioner PV Trivedi warned of strict
punitive action against those caught issuing PUC certificates illegally. The objective
behind the move is to ensure better pollution controls on roads of Ahmedabad which has
earned the dubious distinction as one of the most polluted cities in the country.
Source: The Times of India, Ahmedabad, 26/2/2004
City gets a breather as autos keep off roads: Against all inconveniences,
Autorickshaw strike has been a blessing in disguise for Bangaloreans. For, there has been
a fresh and healthy air in the atmosphere to breathe as over 60,000 autorickshaws remained
off the roads from 6 am to 6 pm. According to Karnataka Pollution Control Board officials,
the City recorded dust particles (Suspended Particulate Matters) as low as 100 UMg per M3
against an average of nearly 200 UMg. Officials said that autorickshaws cause nearly 50
per cent of the air pollution and it can be checked by initiating stringent
pollution-control measures.
Source: Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 25/2/2004^Top
|
| TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC |
|
Indian
auto joins the million club: India is definitely shining as far as the passenger
car industry is concerned. Car sales have crossed the one million sales mark in the
2003-04 fiscal. And the outlook for the current fiscal is even brighter. "Higher all
round economy growth, excise duty reductions, brisk infrastructural development and other
reforms have energised the auto industry with the passenger vehicle sales in India and
overseas crossing the 1 million mark in 2003-04. The auto manufacturers now target at
achieving 1 million domestic sales alone in this fiscal year," said Jagdish Khattar,
President, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
Source: The Pioneer, New Delhi, 17/4/2004
Capital roads fast track to death: A WHO study, to be released on the
occasion of the World Health Day, says mishaps would become the third-biggest killer by
2020, a rise of around 80% from 2004 figures and all of it in developing countries. Fast
and slow moving traffic plying on the same road is a big factor contributing to accidents.
Delhi's scenario is not different. Most accidents take place on big roads.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 7/4/2004
Only high end new buses: Transport dept: Bus operators who want to get
new buses on road will have to buy high-end buses. The transport department has put this
condition, as part of a strategy to improve the transport infrastructure in Delhi.
Transport commissioner Rajiv Talwar said the effect may be a slow in showing because a
large number of operators had bought new buses at the time of the CNG controversy. Some
had got their old buses converted to CNG.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 3/4/2004
Rush time for diesel players: The Indian automobile industry is brimming
with activity. With the government having decided to drive in stricter emission norms
starting April 2005, most diesel vehicle makers are working overtime - some with
assistance from overseas majors - to meet the deadline. Ashok Leyland has joined hands
with AVL List Gmbh of Austria for developing a new 5.7 litre engine to meet Euro-III
emission norms that will come into effect in 2005. Tata has also inked a deal with AVL and
Delphi Diesel of France to develop Euro-IV compliant common rail direct injection (CRDi)
diesel engines for Indica and its other passenger cars.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 31/3/2004
Carmakers pull plug on electric vehicles: Five to 10 years ago, when the
future seemed to belong to electric cars - and California clean-air rules forced reluctant
automakers to offer them - a small but enthusiastic group of optimists and
environmentalists signed on as pioneers. While a few bought electrics outright, most
signed leases that obliged them to return the vehicles after a few years. Regulators and
auto manufacturers have since pinned their hopes on newer technologies, like hybrid
gasoline-electric vehicles and, further in the future, hydrogen cars.
Source: The Financial Express, New Delhi, 28/3/2004
Pedal your way out of congestion: Sheila: To promote cycle riding as a
means to de-congest roads and check the level of pollution, the Delhi government is
embarking on a new mission to promote cycling. Inaugurating the Indo-Bike Expo '04, Chief
Minister Ms Sheila Dikshit today said ''Cycling is a joy, a sport which is not only good
for health but also for the environment''. ''To make people come back to cycling, the
Delhi government is embarking on a major mission which starts with a campaign involving
school-children.''
Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 18/3/2003
Metro Rail is a waste: Austrian expert: The Delhi Metro project that is
coming up as one of the latest and unique projects is, according to an Austrian transport
policy expert, a sheer waste of public money. The expert said that it was not a viable
option for the national Capital. "The Rs 10,571 crore Metro project (for phase-1) is
what the country could ill-afford. It has a long gestation period and does not take care
of the city's current transport needs. Moreover, the public money is moving into private
hands," said Prof. Hermann Knoflacher, head of the Institute for Transport Planning
and Traffic Engineering, Vienna.
Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 10/3/2004
Elevated highways to ease Delhi traffic: The Chief Minister, Ms Shiela
Dikshit, said today that Delhi has more traffic signals than the rest of the country put
together and if the traffic is to be controlled, advanced elevated highways are needed on
the Ring Road. She was speaking on the occasion of release of the 'India Infrastructure
Report 2004'. The Capital is one of the most densely populated cities in terms of vehicle
population, she pointed out. Delhi's traffic system was "choking'' the roads and the
government was examining ways to de-congest the roads.
Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 6/3/2004
Whither efficient public transport?: That the Metro Rail project may
finally see the light of day, has come as good news to many Bangaloreans. The reason is
not hard to find: There is an urgent need for an efficient and comfortable public
transport. This has brought back focus on public transport in the City, which still
doesn't compare with similar systems in Chennai, Mumbai or even Hyderabad. Additional
buses are welcome, but have they actually helped reduce the swelling number of two, three
and four-wheelers on our streets?
Source: Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 1/3/2004
^Top
| NATIONAL
& LOCAL POLICY INITIATIVES |
|
Delhi:
Sensors to snoop on polluting vehicles: Getting a speeding challan at home is
passé, get ready for a polluting ticket to be delivered at your doorstep. The transport
department is conducting a pilot study for checking vehicle emissions using remote sensing
devices. "If all works well motorists can be prosecuted for driving polluting
vehicles," transport commissioner Rajiv Talwar said. The first practical use of the
system started at Panchsheel Marg. On Thursday, it was used on Ridge road near Buddha
Jayanti Park and emission data of over 15,000 vehicles was collected. "The system
measures carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons and smoke emissions
of a moving vehicle in 0.7 seconds," Talwar said.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 16/4/2004
Delhi: RTVs only in outer Delhi, trans-Yamuna: In a move to reduce
congestion and accidents on Delhi's roads, rural transport vehicles (RTVs) will not be
allowed to ply in the heart of the city. The transport department has decided to limit
their services to outer Delhi and trans-Yamuna. According to transport officials, the
underlying principle is that buses should not run parallel to the Metro Rail and on routes
parallel to the bigger buses.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 10/4/2004
TERI moots sops for oil companies to produce cleaner fuels: TERI has
suggested that oil companies should be provided with fiscal incentives to upgrade their
refineries to produce cleaner fuels. In its roadmap to promote alternative
environment-friendly fuels for public transport in major cities, TERI said that the four
refineries run by Indian Oil Corporation and Reliance could be upgraded to produce 20
million tonnes of ultra-low sulphur diesel(ULSD) whereas the projected demand was just
three million ULSD by 2010.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 11/4/2004
'Bucket brigade' comes to check Chennai air: Chennaites were introduced
to the 'bucket brigade,' a movement of people to sample the air they breathe. Conceived by
community activists in the United States, the brigade is all about a bucket with a
detachable plastic bag inside. Air is drawn into the plastic bag, changing the pressure
inside the bucket and sent to laboratory for testing.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai, 11/3/2004
A 'bad breathes easy as traffic cops crackdown on polluting 'chhagdas':
Although the recent crackdown on six-seater auto-rickshaws, popularly known as 'chhagdas',
has affected those commuting to-and-from the industrial areas of Vatva and Odhav, the rest
of Ahmedabad is literally "breathing easy". The Ahmedabad Traffic Police have
also been cracking down on autorickshaws which use a concoction of solvent and kerosene,
thereby causing pollution. During the past four days more than 373 autorickshaws have been
seized.
Source: The Times of India, Ahmedabad, 22/3/2004
Laws on auto pollution sought: In a bid to contain the automobile
pollution menace in Kolkota city, the industry and academic circle urged the West Bengal
Government to frame laws to phase out polluting vehicles from city roads. "Automobile
pollution contributes to about 50% of total environmental pollution. It is causing havoc
on public health and the government needs to play a pro-active role to contain it,"
Mr Sanjay Budhia, Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industries (eastern region), said.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 11/3/2004
Licensing system is back for rickshaws: The Municipal Corporation of
Delhi "reintroduced" the licensing system for cycle-rickshaws, thus reversing
its existing "licensefree" policy that was introduced in 2001 on the direction
of the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Source: The Hindu, New Delhi, 9/3/2004
Crackdown on cars with illegal gas kits: Delhi transport department will
soon launch a drive against vehicles running on illegal LPG conversion kits. The
enforcement wing of the department will soon start checking vehicles across the city,
sources said. The first advice to vehicle owners is to switch over to approved LPG kit or
the CNG mode. If they don't convert within a stipulated time-frame (to be 2-3 months), the
vehicle will be impounded for being hazardous. "We have asked petrol pumps to inform
us about vehicles running on illegal LPG kits as they are unsafe," transport
commissioner Rajiv Talwar. Nine types of LPG kits for four wheelers have been approved by
the department and can be installed at a price ranging between Rs 20,000-25,000.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 9/3/2004
May deadline for non-Delhi vehicles: The Delhi transport department
decided to defer its drive against vehicles not registered in the Capital. It will now
start from May 1 and not mid-March. Transport commissioner Rajiv Talwar told that a
month's time has been given to vehicle owners to get their vehicles registered in Delhi.
"We will open special counters in the nine zonal offices to facilitate registration
of vehicles. An awareness campaign will also be run," he said. The department has
decided to relax norms for original vehicle owners. They will not have to get a
"no-objection certificate" from the state where they are registered. "We
will take the original registration book while issuing the new one. It will be sent to the
respective state for cancellation," an official said. However, owners of second-hand
vehicles will have to bring an NOC from the state of registration.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 4/3/2004
Centre tightens emission control norms: The union ministry of road
transport has notified stringent emission norms for Pollution Under Control Certificates
(PUCCs) to be effective from October 2004. For the first time, measurement of the noise
pollution level for vehicles has also been made mandatory. The noise level should confirm
to Schedule VI of the Environment Protection Rules, 1986. The emission standards for
vehicles running on petrol, CNG and liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be uniform. The
impact will be maximum on petrol-run vehicles, for which emission standards have been
improved by about four times. For Bharat Stage-II compliant cars, the emission standard
for carbon monoxide has been lowered from 2.2 to 0.5 per cent. For non Bharat stage-II
vehicles, it has been lowered from 5 to 3 per cent.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 21/2/2004
^Top
Mumbai:
Supreme Court rejects bus operators' plea: The Supreme Court dismissed an
application by the Mumbai Bus Owners Association seeking extension of the January 3, 2004,
deadline (fixed by the Bombay High Court) for conversion of around 24,000 commercial
vehicles which are more than eight years old, from diesel to CNG (compressed natural gas)
mode. A Bench, comprising Justice Shivaraj V. Patil and Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari,
dismissed the application. The High Court had fixed the deadline on a petition filed by
the Mumbai Environment Action Group, which said that the increasing pollution in Mumbai
city could be controlled only through conversion of the old commercial vehicles from
diesel to CNG mode.
Source: The Hindu, New Delhi, 14/4/2004
HC puts brakes on older trucks: City transporters got some relief when
the Bombay High Court gave them till year-end to convert their older commercial vehicles
to CNG. However, the vehicles, which are eight years or older, will not be allowed to ply
till they convert. The original deadline for transporters to scrap or convert their
vehicles to CNG was February. While extending the deadline till January 2005, the court
laid down other conditions - vehicle owners must apply for conversion within a month, and
converted vehicles will be allowed to ply on city roads only for another eight years. The
order was agreed to by both the parties- the State Government and the Bombay Environment
Action Group (BEAG), one of the petitioners in the pollution case.
Source: The Times of India, Mumbai, 5/3/2004
SC wants Bhure Lal to head panel on pollution: The Supreme Court asked
the Centre to issue a notification appointing senior bureaucrat Bhure Lal as the head of
Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) for National Capital Region (NCR). A
three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice V.N. Khare passed the order rejecting an
application filed by the Ministry of Forest and Environment, requesting the court to
accept Bhure Lal's resignation from the post after his appointment as UPSC member.
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, 24/2/2004
^Top
Delhi: Anti-adulteration cell seize
spurious diesel: The anti adulteration cell of the ministry of petroleum and
natural gas has seized around 2 lakh 50 thousand litres of spurious diesel in Delhi. A
team of the northern region of the cell raided C Balaji Traders in Mundaka Village and
seized tanks containing kerosene and diesel. Kerosene is blended with diesel to make
adulterated diesel.
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, 17/4/2004
Surat: Naphtha solvent, cylinders worth Rs. 91,000 seized: Officials of
District Supply Department are learnt to have seized unauthorised stock of naphtha solvent
and gas cylinders worth Rs. 91,000, in three incidents. Over 200 litres petroleum product,
oil, etc. worth Rs. 9175 were seized. The illegal sale centre was run by Devilal Baluram
Chandel, a resident of Amba nagar, Surat.
Source: The Satyam Times, 8/4/2004
Mix 'n' sell is the order of the day: On the one hand, the RTA raises a
hue and cry over increasing use of kerosene-mixed petrol by auto drivers and two-wheelers,
on the other, roadside vendors happily sell adulterated fuel on the sly. Opposite traffic
police station near Punjagutta cross roads, Vinay boldly displays four bottles of petrol
on a stool. Anyone who wants them will get it; just spend one rupee more than what you pay
at petrol bunks. If you ask for oil, he will mix it for you. And if you want to take home
the bottle, pay an additional Rs 10.
Source: The New Indian Express, Hyderabad, 3/3/2004
Fuel adulteration racket busted: The Central Bureau of Investigation
unearthed a major petrol and diesel adulteration racket allegedly involving fake stamp
paper scam kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi and a number of senior officials of the oil public
sector undertakings. The racket was busted following simultaneous raids at premises of
eight companies in Mumbai, Jalgaon and Chennai. All these companies, involved in
large-scale adulteration with the connivance of government officials, were allegedly being
financed by Telgi. These companies used to import naphtha at subsidised industrial rate
and then scientifically mix it with petrol and diesel before delivering it at petrol pumps
and retail outlets across the country through private oil tankers. Source: The Asian Age,
New Delhi, 11/3/2004
SC orders inquiry into diesel adulteration: The Supreme Court has
directed the Commissioner of Delhi Police to probe into allegations that the diesel sold
at retail outlets of leading petroleum companies in the national Capital territory was
adulterated. This order was passed by a Bench comprising Chief Justice V.N. Khare, Justice
Y.K. Sabharwal and Justice Arijit Pasayat yesterday as it was not satisfied with the
response of the petroleum companies - HP and IOC. Amicus Curiae Harish Salve had brought
to court's notice an article published in the magazine Down To Earth giving photographic
evidence of diesel being pilfered from oil tankers and then replenished with chlorine,
kerosene or even dry cleaning agents.
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, 10/3/2004
^Top
Demand
better deal: Aesthetis is a costly luxury, especially in a busting city. The
Nepal government's decision to phase out two-stroke tempos from the capital in favor of
the better looking taxis and micros not only means a potential occupational relocation for
tempo owners but also a fair degree of compromise for commuters in terms of fares. Unable
to muster enough cash to pay for taxis and mocors, owners of the 903 streets are trying
hard to exert pressure on the government to revise its decision to provide only four
wheelers as alternatives to the three wheelers. The three wheelers are to be phased out of
the capital by July 15.
Source: The Kathmandu Post, Kathmandu, 13/3/2004
Over 60 per cent vehicles fail emission test: The on-the-spot emission
testing' results show that over 62 percent of the vehicles plying the streets of the
Kathmandu have failed the required emission standards. Out of the total vehicles tested so
far, over 80 percent that 'failed' are diesel engines.
Source: The Kathmandu Post, Kathmandu, 18/3/2004
All vehicles to be converted to CNG by Dec': Bangladesh minister for
Energy and Mineral Resources AKM Mosharraf Hossain said that all the petrol run vehicles
of the government and semi-government organisations will be converted to Compressed
Natural Gas (CNG) by December this year. The State Minister said that the ministry is also
planning to increase price of per litre CNG by One Taka more from the existing Taka 7.5
per liter to encourage setting up of more CNG stations in the country particularly outside
Dhaka. Some 50 CNG stations are also operating in the capital at present, the minister
said.
Source: The Bangladesh Observer, Dhaka, 19/3/2004
Lahore eyes Delhi's CNG: Lahore, which once nursed close ties with Delhi,
is coming back for more. Authorities there want the Capital's help to convert its public
transport system into the CNG mode. The Pakistani city has about 20,000 public transport
vehicles. Hassaan Ghazali, member of Pakistan Environmental Law Association that has been
asked to suggest a plan to convert to CNG in Lahore, enthusiastically participated in a
seminar on environment. He discussed the issue with transport commissioner Rajiv Talwar,
who was part of the process to convert about 80,000 vehicles in Delhi's public transport
fleet to CNG in two years.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 31/3/2004
EPA's move to install CNG-kits in rickshaws: The Environmental Protection
Agency will introduce CNG-driven rickshaws to check the growing air pollution in Peshawar
and other parts of the province (Pakistan), officials said. The sources said that
compressed natural gas kits would be installed in 20 rickshaws of two-stroke engines under
a project to be supervised by the provincial EPA. The project, involving an initial
investment of over Rs 700,000 aims to phase out the two-stroke engine rickshaws to control
the air pollution and the health problems caused by it.
Source: Dawn (Internet), Pakistan, 25/3/2004
Air quality worsens again: Kathmandu Valley, from March 14 to 20, could
not continue to show improved air quality levels it recorded the previous period from
March 7-13, as all seven air-monitoring stations witnessed an increase in pollution
levels. Patan hospital area, unlike earlier periods, was the most polluted site in the
Valley. The area usually is the second most polluted site in the Valley. The area recorded
a weekly average (based on the daily averages) of 269.42 PM10, up from the previous week's
236 PM10. This area registered "unhealthy" air marks for all seven days of the
period. The highest and the lowest air pollution levels in the area were 295 PM10 on March
15 and 233 PM10 on March 19.
Source: Nepal News (Internet), Nepal, 23/3/2004
Impressed, Pak now wants CNG: He dreams of "cleaner air" for
the people of Lahore to breath easy. Ask him what he likes about Delhi's transport system,
and Ahmed H. Ghazali, a young lawyer working as a researcher with the Clean Air Commission
in Lahore tells you that he was struck by the strips stating CNG on the green
autorickshaws indicative of the pride the city takes in having shifted to a cleaner fuel.
With a goal to replicate the same pride in Lahore by developing an environment friendly
transport system, Ahmed Ghazali is returning loaded with ideas picked up at the
International Conference, "The Leapfrog Factor: Towards Clean Air In Asian
Cities," organised by the Centre For Science and Environment in the capital.
Impressed with India's initiatives, Ahmed Ghazali would like to see the public transport
in Lahore also shift to a cleaner fuel like CNG.
Source: The Asian Age, New Delhi, 2/4/2004
^Top |