In another step towards combating air pollution, the Centre on Thursday launched a pilot project to run two-wheelers on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
The project that is backed by the Gas Authority of India limited (GAIl) and Indraprastha Gas limited is expected to “revolutionise” the fight against air pollution in the country as two-wheelers comprise a major portion of vehicles on Indian roads.
The project involves the initial release of 50 CNG retrofitted two-wheelers. Out of these, the first batch of ten vehicles was flagged off on Thursday in the presence of Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar and Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan.
As per idle emission tests, hydrocarbon emissions from such two-wheelers are 75 per cent less and Carbon Monoxide (CO) emissions are 20 per cent less as compared to similar petrol-driven models.
According to Pradhan, the share of gas in the country’s fuel basket is just 7 per cent as compared to the world average of 24 per cent.
Describing the pilot project as historic, Pradhan said he had written to the Delhi Government to make Bawana Power Plant fully operational on liquefied Natural Gas so that cheaper and clean power was made available to the residents of Delhi.
He pointed out that the 350 MW Badarpur Thermal Power Plant in the Capital was causing several times more pollution than all the vehicles of Delhi put together.
Javadekar listed various measures being taken by the Ministry to promote clean fuel that include transition from Euro-IV type fuel to Euro-VI by 2020, imposition of cess of Rs 400 per tonne on coal, introduction of e-rickshaws and providing subsidy to electric/hybrid cars etc.
According to him, use of CNG in two-wheelers would have far reaching implications in reducing pollution.
The CNG kit for two-wheelers comprises two CNG cylinders of 4.8 litres of water capacity each, which can be filled with up to 1 kg of CNG each.
As per the kit manufacturer, these CNG retrofitted two-wheelers can drive up to 120 km in a single fill and are expected to be substantially economical as compared to a similar petrol-run vehicle at current prices.
The retrofitted scooters with CNG kit are manufactured by M/s Ituk Manufacturing India Pvt. ltd.
The programme is part of a public movement called “Hawa Badlo” to fight air pollution. It encompasses a number of awareness drives besides supporting research initiatives in this regard.