Welcoming the Centre’s move to leapfrog to Euro VI standards in 2020, a Delhi-based green body on Thursday termed it as a ‘game-changer’ decision which will help India to advance towards cleaner emissions and also reduce particulate emissions from diesel cars by 68 per cent. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said that with this move, India will take the first step towards fuel-neutral standards that will lower the gap between emissions standards for diesel and petrol vehicles. As India leaps from Bharat Stage IV to Euro VI, CSE said that particulate emissions from diesel cars will be reduced by 68 per cent while NOx emissions can come down by 82 per cent.
It also said that reduction from heavy duty vehicles will be 87 per cent and 67 per cent, respectively, for particulates and NOx. “This is a game-changer decision and will help India leapfrog to much cleaner emissions. This is needed at a time when India is motorising very rapidly.”
“The number of vehicles that India will add in the next decade is over twice the current vehicle stock in the country. Stringent emissions standards are needed to reduce the pollution impact of this immense motorisation,” said CSE Director General Sunita Narain.
In a major step to curb vehicular pollution, India will leapfrog directly from Euro IV emission norms for petrol and diesel to Euro VI standards and the oil PSUs will invest Rs28,750 crore for the transition.
A decision was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting on Wednesday to advance the date by four years to April 1, 2020 for implementation of Bharat Stage VI (equivalent to Euro VI norms followed globally) for supply of cleaner auto fuel, by altogether skipping the Euro V grade norms.