Govt skips BS-V, to adopt BS-VI norms by 2020: Gadkari

All other ministries have assured co-operation to make the implementation successful, the Transport Minister said

A day after the Supreme Court asked the Central government why it could not directly implement Bharat State VI emissions norms that are equivalent to Euro VI standards, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari announced the higher standards would be implemented a year earlier from April 2020. Earlier, the government had planned that BS-V norms would come into effect from 2019 and BS-VI from 2021 for four wheelers.

Gadkari tweeted the decision after a meeting attended by environment minister Prakash Javdekar, heavy industry minister Anant Geete and petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan today. ”Me and my colleagues have taken a unanimous decision to leap frog to BS VI directly from April 1, 2020," Gadkari tweeted.

In November, the government had put in public domain a draft notification for implementation of BS-V and BS-VI emission norms for the automobile sector, covering the four wheeler category. It said BS–V norms would be implemented from April 1, 2019 and BS-VI norms, which aim at substantial reduction in NOx/4C levels will be implemented from April 1, 2021. The earlier roadmap laid down by the Auto Fuel Policy said BS –V norms were to be implemented from April 1, 2022 and BS-VI from April 1, 2024.

The particulate matter emission in BS-V and BS-VI is same for diesel cars though it is 80% less than BS IV. The nitrogen oxide (NOx) level is, however, 55% less in BS-VI over BS-V which in itself is 28% lower than BS IV.

The sulphur content in fuel norms for diesel and petrol under both BS-V and -VI standards does not change at 10 ppm, though it is substantially less than 50 mandated for both the fuels under BS-IV.

India currently has BS-III, equivalent of Euro-III specifications, across the country and BS-IV in major cities. "BS-IV will be supplied in most big cities by April 2016 and all over the country from April 2017," Gadkari said later briefing the media.

Oil refineries would need to invest Rs 80,000 crore in upgrading petrol and diesel quality to meet cleaner fuel specifications by 2020.