Delhi Pollution Mainly Due To Vehicles

A report on pollution in Delhi has come up with a startling finding ""- namely that almost 65 per cent of the capitals pollution comes from vehicles.

The study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) reveals that vehicles remain the major source of pollution in the rest of urban India too.

The report 'Slow murder: The untold story of vehicular pollution in India was realeased by vice-president K R Narayanan here on Friday.

According to the report, the four main causes of such high vehicular pollution levels are outdated vehicle technology and unwillingness of the automobile industry to accept stringent emission standards, bad fuel quality, poor traffic management and planning, and insufficient maintenance of existing vehicles.

The report accuses both industry and government of diluting the stringent norms laid down by the H B Mathur committee report on emission control standards.

The rules adopted by the government in 1996 are a watered down version of the original report.

The CSE report concludes that it is not technological inexpertise "" as is usually claimed by industry "" but the reluctance to invest in research & development and in accredited emission control technology such as fuel injection systems that has led to the present situation.

Speaking at a function held at the Vice-Presidents residence, CSE director Anil Agarwal regretted that the exercise of setting standards has been knocked out of the domain of science and shoved into the dirty realm of politics. Norms are set according to the demands of industry and not with the public health in mind, he added.

'Slow Murder says that the inefficient technology of two and three wheelers, which constitute 65 per cent of the vehicles on Indian roads, are responsible for about 70 per cent of hydrocarbon and 46 per cent of carbon monoxide emissions.

The lack of a proper public transport system has resulted in increased puchases of personal vehicles, eventually leading to overcrowded streets.

This forces the vehicles to move at slow speeds resulting in increased emissions.

The report also identifies, for the first time, the obsolete technology used by oil refineries for refining high-sulphur crude and a lack of mandatory standards for fuel production as major causes for bad quality fuel.

Besides, it highlights several problems associated with lack of proper data.

For instance, the absence of data on air pollutants, such as benzene from unleaded petrol, hampers studies on pollution.

'Slow Morder concludes that the measures taken by the government so far are little more than an eyewash.

An effective solution to the problem of air pollution, the health costs of which have been estimated by the World Bank at Rs 595 crore to Rs 5652 crore per annum, must have a multi-pronged and innovative approach, accompanied with the necessary political will.