PRESS RELEASE OF 10^th August 2000

New Delhi August 10, 2000: The Centre for Science and Environment condemns the Delhi Transport Corporation’s (DTC) asinine claims of bringing in diesel technology with simple modifications in engine technology instead of complying with the Supreme Court’s directive of switching completely to CNG. They are simply trying to fool the public with technical mumbo-jumbo that amounts to sheer white lies. While the rest of the world is struggling hard to overcome the limitation of the diesel technology to control particulate emissions, all that the new fangled technology of DTC would do is make "some minor adjustment to the piston of the engine." Instead of wasting time and money on futile projects on diesel, CSE demands that the DTC concentrate on proper implementation of the Supreme Court order on CNG in whatever little time they have left and comply with the Supreme Court order of giving an undertaking as soon as possible. The CNG order is one of the most important decisions that has been taken to control particulate emissions in the city.

It is downright wrong on part of the public functionaries to mislead people with such claims that they have found solutions to reduce suspended particulate matter and nitrogen oxides emissions from diesel buses by 60 per cent and help control particulate pollution in Delhi. DTC remains silent on what does this reduction mean in terms of actual quantum of particulate emissions to be achieved and how does that level compare with new emission norms in countries aiming to control diesel. The US for instance, has proposed PM norms for heavy-duty vehicles as low as 0.0134 gm/kwh. Moreover, California has proposed diesel quality with 0.0015 per cent sulphur along with particulate trap in order to achieve these emission levels. This when the definition of clean diesel in these countries is one with a sulphur content of 0.001 per cent and also of much advanced engine technology and that too with very sophisticated and expensive particulate traps. DTC has just about managed to get diesel quality with 0.05 per cent sulphur – about 33 times dirtier than the California quality. Other countries are taking drastic steps to control diesel when particulate levels in their cities hover around 60 to 70 microgramme per cum as opposed to a shocking 820 microgramme per cum in Delhi.

At least Indian data clearly shows that by moving to CNG today we will be able to achieve emission levels even better than Euro IV emission standards for diesel buses.

If the so called new technology that DTC is propagating helps in effective combustion and reduced emissions then why would the whole world including California, which has one of the most stringent emission standards in the world, move progressively out of diesel and towards alternative fuels like CNG and LPG? The South Coast Air Quality Management District, California, on June 16, 2000, in a landmark decision, severely restricted the use of diesel in its public transport fleet. The rule also clearly defines alternative fuels as other advanced technologies that do not rely on diesel fuel.

CSE demands that DTC must now come clean on why it is consistently trying to hold up implementation of the Supreme Court order on CNG. Earlier, DTC tried to get diesel listed as clean fuel. When it failed to do this, in a desperate attempt it is now trying to hold on to polluting diesel engine technology by dubious assertions of new technological developments in this area. Why is DTC so intent on talking diesel when the Supreme Court clearly held while rejecting the proposal for accepting Euro II diesel buses as cleaner option on March 31, 2000 "No diesel! No diesel! No diesel!"