7.1.
1 Area Sources
Preferred control options from area sources have been evaluated with respect to two
main pollutants viz. PM and NOx. These control options are on the basis of three distinct
scenario as the characteristics of these sources are very diverse.
Scenario 1
Construction activities and combustion of fuels in domestic cooking are the major
contributors to the PM emissions. These two sources are considered for controlling PM
emissions.
Better Construction Practices
Better construction and operating practices viz. proper loading/unloading of materials
including water spraying is considered. These practices need to be upgraded with norms
which prevent activities resulting in high PM emissions. Reduction of PM emissions
through
this control option is expected to be 50% by 2012 and 100% by the year 2017.
Use of Clean Fuels (LPG) in Domestic Sector
LPG is considered to be cleaner fuel as compared to coal, wood and kerosene for
domestic cooking. Substitution of LPG in the place of all solid fuels and kerosene in
domestic
cooking (including slums) is considered as the option leading to 50% and 100%
reduction by
2012 and 2017 respectively.
Scenario 2
Diesel generator sets are the major contributors to the NOx emissions. This source
category is mainly considered for reducing NOx emissions.
Adequate power supply
Considering future power generation scenario and availability of adequate power, no
use of generator sets beyond 2012 is envisaged leading to negligible emissions from
generator sets.Scenario 3
Third scenario considers both PM and NOx emissions reduction options as preferred
combination of options. This option has been considered for industries and vehicular
emission
sources.
7.1.2 Industrial Sources
Select control options have been evaluated with respect to two main pollutants viz. PM
and NOx. These control options are combination for PM and NOx together as in this
source
category the options are not different for PM and NOx.
Coal based Power plants are the major sources of PM and SO2 emissions and NG
based Power plants are the major sources of NOx emissions. Besides, medium scale
industries also contribute to PM and SO2 emissions and limited NOX. These two sources
are
considered for controlling PM and SO2 emissions.
NG is considered to be the cleaner fuel as compared to coal and liquid fuels used in
industries. Use of NG in all power plants and medium scale industries by 2012 is
envisaged.
Though many small scale industries may continue to operate on other liquid fuel, their
contributions shall not be significant mainly due to their shifting from the non-conforming
zones.
7.1.3 Vehicular Sources
From vehicular pollution point of view, various technology based control options have
been evaluated with respect to the two main pollutants viz. PM and NOx. There are
some
options which are primarily addressing PM emissions (such as DPF), however, the
overall
preferred options analysis for vehicular sector will not be limited to only this options. All
options together in vehicular sector considered are for the purpose of reducing PM and
NOx.
For evaluation of various vehicular pollution control options, the approach adopted and
assumptions made have already been discussed chapter 6.
REFORMS
CNG Delhi the worlds cleanest public bus system running on CNG
Interview with Anumita Roychaudhary, CES
State of the Art before 1998
In 1991, India published the first exhaust emission standards, but there were no fuel
quality standards.
In 1993, CNG had become available in Delhi at three filling stations for industrial and
domestic users. Natural gas is a domestic energy produced in Western India.
In 1995, a lawyer filed a case with the Supreme Court of India under the Public Interest
Litigation rule, The lawyers case was about the health risks caused by air pollution
emitted from road vehicles.
The Supreme Court decided that cars put into circulation after 1995 would have to run
on unleaded fuel. By 1998, Delhi was converted to 100% of unleaded fuel
What was converted, the new cars or the gasoline stations or both ?
Government ruled that diesel cars in Delhi were restricted to 10000 ppm after 1995.
In 1996, CSE published its report on urban air pollution. This report found that the
problem of vehicular pollution in India was the result of a combination of outdated engine
technology, poor fuel quality, defective transportation planning and bad maintenance of
vehicles on the read. No statistics of energy input and pollution output were available,
put it was estimated that vehicles were responsible for 64% of emissions (power
production for 17, industry for 10%). The conclusion of this report, and CSEs objectives
for the future, were to press for clean fuels and a rapid introduction of EUR II standards.
The 1998 Directive of the Supreme Court
In 1998, three years after the lawyer had filed his case and as a direct result of it, the
Supreme Court published a Directive that specified the date of April 2001 as deadline to
replace or convert all busses, three-wheelers and taxis to CNG. In addition, the Directive
specified that an infrastructure of 70 CNG refuelling stations had to be made available,
and asked for financial incentives for the conversion of vehicle fleets.
In January 1998, the National Capital Region of Delhi set up a Commission to study,
write and publish a report on the air pollution problem in Delhi. CSE was a member of
this Commission.
What was first? The Directive or setting up the Comission?
In 1999, the Supreme Court ordered the government to impose the EUR II standard for
gasoline engines by the year 2000 for all new car sales. The Court order attacked the
diesel car promotion, and ordered sulphur levels below 30 ppm, as well as particle filters
for diesel engines.
This re-opened the discussion on CNG. Cleaner diesel had now become available, and
the automotive industry and the Delhi government put forward scientific arguments
against CNG. In fact, the government and the car industry were fighting the bad image of
diesel fuel. Also at stake was the issue of equal rights between Public Transport and
private cars.
Diesel had always been the fuel favoured by the government. It was first subsidised,
than less taxed than gasoline. In 2000, despite the 1998 order of the Supreme Court
order, the government still allowed 6000 new diesel busses to take up service. And by
April 2001 the original deadline - little progress had been achieved to fulfil the 1998
Supreme Court Directive.
The vehicle industry was against CNG, fundamentally because global mass production
is jeopardised by any local legislation. It continued lobbying in favour of abolishing the
Supreme Court order.
Finally, in April 2002, the Supreme Court published a directive which imposed a penalty
on the government for wasting the courts time, and in addition, a daily penalty of 1000
Rupee per day (approximately 20 US$) for each diesel bus still in circulation.
By 1st December 2002, the last diesel bus had disappeared from Delhis roads, as part
of a programme to improve public transport by offering more busses, and only busses
running on CNG.
The situation today
At the beginning of 2005, 10300 CNG busses, 55000 CNG three-wheelers taxis, 5000
CNG minibuses, 10000 CNG taxis and 10000 CNG cars run on Delhis roads.
How was this achieved? Companies could either buy new CNG busses, at a cost of
1600000 Rupees (16 lakh), replace the engines of existing busses at a cost of 700000
Rupees, or convert the diesel engine of existing busses to CNG, at a cost of 400000
Rupees.
The majority of business went for the option of buying expensive new CNG busses;
2800 opted for the cheapest solution of engine conversion; no existing busses were
equipped with new CNG engines.
It is interesting to note that only 3000 busses are operated by the Delhi Transport
Corporation, the majority of the busses in Delhi are run by private operators.
Approximately one thousand additional busses that link Delhi with neighbouring States
still run on diesel; they are allowed to enter Delhi for a distance of 16 km maximum.
With the introduction of CNG came problems of conversion quality and maintenance
quality; 12 busses caught fire. Foreign experts were called in to examine the problem[2],
and a new regulation on CNG safety was published. One main problem was the
absence of stress relief loops on CNG installations a problem not limited to CNG and
India, which led to the banning of LPG cars in Europe not equipped with pressure relief
equipment.
The future
The second phase of the programme includes light and medium size commercial
vehicles and cars.
A further conversation of the approximately 1 million automobiles is hindered by the
limited supply of CNG gas. Nevertheless, new three-wheeler commercial goods vehicles
also have to run on CNG. And many white Ambassador cars for tourists have been
converted to dual use, running on CNG in Delhi and on gasoline outside Delhi.
A new pipeline network is under construction, linking the Gujarat coast with major cities
in the west of India. The import of CNG and increased production will overcome the
supply shortage. In addition, new natural gas fields are developed in Gujarat and will
come into production. Also, the import of CNG by ship will increase in the future.
The biggest problem are transit trucks, which are still allowed in Delhi at night. A new
Supreme Court order now says the transit traffic should not enter Delhi, which means
that a new ring road has to be built.
The manufacturers of private cars refuse to produce dedicated CNG cars for sale in
Delhi, despite the fact that Delhi represents 20% of the Indian market. Only two domestic
producers, Ambassador and Maruti-Suzuki, offer a retrofit of high quality for dual fuel use
of their cars.
Since 2004, eight new cities along the CNG main pipeline have received a Supreme
Court order to convert their bus fleets to CNG. CNG busses are seen as the entry gate
to establish a supply infrastructure and open up the car market.
For the time being, the car industry is playing a deaf ear, and refuses to cooperate and
inform. The fact that most car manufacturers sell dedicated CNG automobiles in Europe,
were CNG cars are considered the best available technology (BAT), is ignored by the
same companies active in India.
