Can BS VI be a comprehensive solution?

Statistics show marginal growth in the #auto #industry (both passenger and commercial vehicle sales). The post-pandemic trends in the #economy show a keen interest of the population in life standard improvisations. When the #ipccreport projects the possibility of no options, are we doing enough for our planet?

Recently #BharatStageVI norms were announced. Its purpose is to reduce pollutants such as sulfur dioxide,  nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emitted from the vehicle outlets. with a deadline for manufacturers to move on to new designs according to #BS-VI norms, the government was reassuring its dedication to commitments. However, an important question is how far the new norms can provide a solution to the environmental issues that we already have in India. Also, the increasing usage of permit expired vehicles pause a threat.

Eventhough the companies are brainstorming to market new model vehicles which are supposedly producing around 40ppm less SO2, 70% and 25% fewer NOx for diesel and petrol engines respectively, and less amount of PM2.5 and PM10, the current in-use vehicles (those will account for the lion’s share of total vehicles even after the introduction of newly designed ones) emit large amounts of these pollutants. Over and above this, the number of expired and damaged vehicles evading the laws is increasing day by day.

As newly designed vehicles themselves would be much greater in cost and require #cleanfuel – costlier than the currently available fuel – the middle-class will find it difficult to afford new vehicles atleast for the next few years by which the norms will change. Most of India’s automobile consumers fall in the middle-class bracket. From this, it is clear that the effectiveness of new rules will not be visible any sooner.

In a nutshell, change-makers should keep in mind the viability aspect. Also, there shall be some viability gap-filling mechanisms to reach the sustainable development ideal. Though there is an increasing trend of buying electric vehicles and a possible phase shift to hydrogen economy (anticipated), the time frame is too short for us to act. Making differences without much damage to the planet is anything but a cakewalk. A combined effort is necessary for a fast-growing country like India to survive the waves of climate change.

An Assorted Pick