Delhi to introduce ultra-low sulphur diesel on Thursday

Delhi will join a premier league of global cities on Thursday when the cleaner and greener ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD) is introduced, a step aimed at curbing vehicular pollution in the capital.

On Thursday, Delhi will also become one of the 13 cities in the country to introduce Bharat Stage-IV emission compliance for vehicles.

In ULSD, the sulphur content is just one-seventh of the diesel currently being sold and with its introduction Delhi will earn the distinction of becoming the first Indian city to catch up with fuel quality in Europe and the US where the cleaner fuel was introduced a couple of years back.

The sulphur content in the diesel currently being used is 350 parts per million (ppm) while it will be 50 ppm in ULSD.

"It is a significant step towards improving the air quality in the city," Delhi's Environment Secretary Dharmendra said.

Currently, Delhi has over 60,000 diesel vehicles, considered a major source of vehicular pollution in the city.

Dharmendra said all the oil companies supplying diesel in the city have agreed to supply ULSD in Delhi from April one following the government's directives.

According to a study by Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi adds over 1,000 new personal vehicles each day on its roads and a considerable number of these vehicles run on diesel.

On April one, 13 mega cities, which have Bharat Stage III emission regulations, will follow Bharat Stage IV standards and the rest of the country will upgrade to Bharat Stage III regulations.