CSE's latest book in its Right to Clean Air Campaign series. We have more roads and flyovers than ever before to address our transportation worries. But our cities continue to be gridlocked, with traffic at a virtual standstill as private vehicles hugely outnumber our public transport options. It is time to set new terms of action, make our cities more walkable, review our pollution and congestion control strategies…
Smog digest is a news service on vehicular pollution based on news clippings selected from leading Indian newspapers and newsmagazine.
Smog digest is a news service on vehicular pollution based on news clippings selected from leading Indian newspapers and newsmagazine. It also highlights the key developments from South Asian countries. The months witnessed lots of action and developments on the vehicular pollution front in India.
Neurotoxic petrol additive MMT: Finally banished.The proactive move by the Union Petroleum Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar, to ascertain the status of the use of the MMT, a manganese-based deadly octane enhancer in petrol, has elicited voluntary admission from the national oil companies that they have stopped blending MMT in petrol.
The Hon’ble Supreme Court in its order of May 09, 2002 has directed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) to examine the following:“Investigate the pricing of CNG as done by the IGL and give report to this court whether there is any justification for the figure of Rs16.83 per kg.
During the course of argument, it was contended before us that low sulphur diesel should be regarded as a clean fuel and buses be permitted to run on that.
MMT: Courting poison
For a growing section of riders, e-bikes are a cool way out of increasing fuel costs.
Will Kolkata succeed in phasing out two-stroke autos by July end?
Glitz and glamour dazzled. The lure of jazzy cars at the recently concluded auto show stirred up mass hysteria, clogged roads, brought the city to a near halt. The dream sellers had them all entrapped. But the dream had a green wrapper - small cars, SUVs meeting the most stringent us norms, electric vehicles, hybrid cars, even CNG and diesel hybrid buses! The show is over. But serious questions persist. Need urgent answers. The show is definitely not over…
We discovered this by sheer chance, buried in the website of the Union Ministry of Shipping Road Transport and Highways. This is a public notice soliciting public opinion on the unfinished agenda of the emissions standards roadmap finalised way back in 2003.
Even without looking at the air pollution figures we know from the darkened sky-line that Delhi's air quality gains will be lost this winter. Air has begun to get heavy with dust, smoke and particles.
Vehicles are a special problem as they emit in the breathing zone of people. A large number of studies are now available that show exposure to vehicle exhaust causes significant increase in respiratory symptoms and lung function impairment, cancer and plethora of other ailments. Indian evidences have also begun to emerge. Congestion further aggravates emissions. Low average speeds due to traffic congestion increases the emissions due to the stop-and-go pattern of traffic flow in congested condition. Leapfrog to clean vehicle technology and fuels and fuel efficient vehicles. Small gains are easily offset by the growing traffic volumes. Indian regulations instead of pushing the automobile industry to catch up with the global best standards, fall short of what the industry is capable of achieving.
This evaluation has very clearly identified operational difficulties and addressed fresh safety concerns. In view of the cursory attention paid to inspection and safety norms, experts have made several recommendations that include: improving the institutional framework for coordinated action, firming up inspection requirements to ensure compliance with safety regulations, and training needs for capacity building. The experts’ study argues for institutional arrangements being put in place to mitigate current safety problems — as well as those that may arise in the future.