Cars as new as 3–6-year-old were not allowed
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released “2013-Air Quality Perspective in Delhi” data on 31 Dec 2023, with comparative study of air quality from 2018 to 2023. With the efforts of Commission of Air Quality Management (CAQM) incepted under the ministry in 2021, barring Covid year 2020 of lockdowns and low anthropogenic activities, the six-year record shows improvement in air quality in 2023, with four months of best ever daily average AQI and three months of second best daily AQI, along with best “Good to Average” AQI of 206 days and second minimum “severe to severe plus” AQI of 15 days.
CAQM has come out with Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in four stages as per AQI index from Poor to Severe plus. With rising AQI, GRAP III was invoked in Nov’23 and again in Dec’23, wherein BS III Petrol and BS IV Diesel vehicles were suddenly banned from Delhi-NCR, with a fine of INR 20,000. The Bharat Stage Emission Standards, BS I-VI, is based on European norms to define output of permissible air pollutants. BS IV compliance was made mandatory in Apr’17, and last registration was allowed till 31 Mar’20. Banning cars with BS IV means cars as new as 3–6-year-old were not allowed to enter or move around in Delhi-NCR.
While the norms have been clearly made after taking expert opinions and with a view of controlling pollution, there should be a lenient view for buyers who bought cars before these were in existence. These vehicles are also passing PUC (Pollution under control) norms. The PUC certificate provides detail of carbon mono-oxide and hydrocarbon emission, and with modifications to include other specification of BSVI regulations, vehicles passing the accepted standards may be allowed to ply. Car manufacturers should also be encouraged to devise pocket friendly external catalytic convertors/devices which can be fitted to these cars to allow them to become compatible to pollution norms. Technology can play a very important role in increasing public will and combating pollution.
