| Air pollution and
Indian cities |
Pollution looming large over Kochi: Kochi is set to join the league of metropolitan cities in the country, including on matters like air and sound pollution. Air pollution is no longer confined to the Eloor-Edayar industrial belt. The phenomenal increase in the number of vehicles, especially cars, bikes, and goods carriers, has brought its share of pollution woes. The worst affected are two-wheeler riders and pedestrians, caught in the bumper-to-bumper traffic. A good number of children and many adults in the city have allergic or other respiratory ailments. Benny Joseph, State convenor of Janapaksham, says that most goods carriers, buses, and auto-rickshaws in the State use fuel adulterated with kerosene, which is highly polluting and cancerous. “We took the initiative in exposing the rampant use of fuel mixed with white kerosene in Palakkad, Thrissur and Adimaly. Blue (ration) kerosene too is being diverted for use as adulterant in fuel. Sadly, law enforcement agencies are not taking action.” Experts say that old and ill-maintained vehicles are the worst offenders when it comes to air and sound pollution. “The Bharat II (similar to Euro II) norms has fixed the emission level of carbon monoxide for cars registered after October 2004 at 0.5 mg and that of two and three-wheelers at 3.5 mg,” says M.N. Prabhakaran, Deputy Transport Commissioner. Sadly, most pollution-testing centres in Kochi have machinery capable of measuring pollution levels of only 2.5 mg and above. This has prompted the Government to issue an order saying that their licence (issued every five years) will not be renewed if they do not install equipments, which are sensitive enough to detect 0.5 mg of pollutants in the vehicle exhaust.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai, September 3, 2007.
Lucknow India’s fourth most polluted city: Lucknow is the fourth most polluted city in the country. And it’s official. A report released by the Environment and Forest Ministry last month revealed that 51 Indian cities do not meet the prescribed Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) levels, specified under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Lucknow is fourth behind Raipur, Ludhiana and Gobindgarh (Punjab). In Lucknow, the levels of SPM and RSPM in all categories — commercial, residential and industrial — were found to be well above permissible standards. Environmentalists attribute this to an increase in vehicular traffic and rapid economic development. “Thousands of vehicles are being added to the traffic on city roads every year. But existing roads and their quality are perhaps not sufficient to carry the load. Slow-moving vehicles, which form a larger chunk of the traffic, reduce the average traffic speed and cause more pollution. The use of old vehicles and adulterated fuels also aggravate the situation,” said R C Trivedi, Additional Director, Central Pollution Control Board. He said the concentration and not the load of pollution is the main concern. “Big cities like Delhi and Mumbai may have pollution loads many times that of smaller cities but they have improved on pollution concentration by introducing various techniques,” Trivedi said. A senior official of the Environment And Forest Ministry said air monitoring is a regular process and the positioning of cities keeps changing. “But what we have found is that vehicles are the single largest contributor to air pollution in the Tier-2 cities,” an official said. As per the Transport department, Lucknow’s total vehicular population is around 9.5 lakh at present and is increasing at an average of 10 per cent every year.
Source: The Indian Express, Lucknow, October 23, 2007.
City air cleaner with CNG vehicles: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) might have rated Lucknow as the fourth most polluted city in the country, but state environmentalists feel that the quality of air in the city has improved significantly in the last two years after the introduction of CNG vehicles. The comparison of the air quality data between December 2005 and January-August 2007 bolster the claim. The quantity of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) in busy Hazratganj area dipped by 47.3 microgram per cubic meter during this period, while the SPM recorded a staggering fall of 115.2. Talkatora, Amainabad and Aliganj also showed improvement with SPM falling to 112, 110.2 and 96.3 microgram per cubic meter, respectively Despite improvement, the RSPM and SPM levels were found well above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the survey, the study by CPCB stated. D C Gupta, Scientist of Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, said the government should take more steps for cleaner air. “Reduction in RSPM and SPM levels is a positive sign. But it is not sufficient. The quality of respirable air is still not safe,” he said. “Apart from implementation of CNG fuel, the authorities should monitor pollution levels of heavy vehicles. If possible, the norm for the replacement of old vehicles can be implemented. Proper measures should also be taken at the construction sites to avoid air pollution,” he added. The regional transport officer of Lucknow, Gangaphal said most of the autos and taxis have already been converted into CNG. “The process of converting city buses into CNG is under process. The CNG has brought a visible change in the air,” he said. There are around 9.5 lakh vehicles in Lucknow at present that are increasing at a rate of 10 per cent per year. Head of environment directorate Dr Yashpal Singh said the awareness among people about their environment would be helpful in protecting our environment.
Source: The Indian Express, Lucknow, November 2, 2007.
Pre-CNG smog is back: Delhi’s air has been as polluted and lethal over the past fortnight as it was before the introduction of CNG in 2001, according to daily data released by the country’s pollution watchdog. The Central Pollution Control Board data has shocked experts who blamed the undoing on the rising number of private vehicles on the roads. They predicted that this year’s winter could be the worst in the past six years due to smog and problems that come with it. Sunita Narain, a member of the Environment Protection Control Authority, said: “All CNG gains have been lost by inaction on the part of government... and sheer exploitation of air quality by huge registration of private vehicles.” Over 1,000 vehicles are registered in Delhi every day and 30 per cent of them run on diesel, which emit five times more respirable suspended particular matter (RSPM) and nitrogen oxide than those run on petrol. Before 2001, about 500 vehicles used to be registered a day and only two per cent were run on diesel. Although RSPM, which causes breathing problems and asthma attacks, had been rising since 2005, it touched the levels of 2001 during the past fortnight with average being 270-350 unit grams in an area of cubic metre. The man who introduced CNG in Delhi, MoS for Urban Development Ajay Maken, admitted it was back to square one. He said: “First, we need to strengthen our public transport system so that people can get an alternate mode of transport.”
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, November 5, 2007.
Visibility 2 km only but it’s not fog; Delhi may have a toxic winter ahead: After a warm Monday that saw temperature rise to 32.1 degrees Celsius, visibility fell much below normal, to settle at just below two kilometres, in the capital on Tuesday. The minimum temperature also fell below normal, to 13.5 degrees. The haze added to the pre-holiday traffic snarls, making commuting and even breathing difficult. The fall of visibility is, however, not due to fog. “For fog you need high amount of humidity. What we are seeing in Delhi right now is haze caused due to an inversion that has developed over the city,” explained B P Yadav, Director of the Meteorological Department’s Mausam Vibhag on Lodhi Road. “It’s a classic phenomenon that occurs in the month of November. The upper layers of the atmosphere get warmer than the lower ones, exactly opposite to the normal condition. As a result, smoke and dust particles are unable to rise, they stay close to the ground, reducing visibility,” he added. But this atmospheric phenomenon can affect more than just driving. The significant particles that can’t rise in the air during an inversion are not dust particles, they are particles released from industrial smoke stacks and from car emissions. Both of these usually contain carbon monoxide and sulphur oxides, which are toxic when inhaled, and cause various health problems ranging from breathing troubles to cardiovascular conditions. They can also damage lung tissue in extreme cases. And the bad news doesn’t end here. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, air pollution levels in the city are already as high as they were during the pre-CNG days. “We will have to take tough measures to control the growing air pollution, and do it fast. Otherwise, Delhi will find itself in the choked and toxic haze of the pre-CNG days, when diesel-driven buses and autos had made it one of the most polluted cities on earth,” said Sunita Narain, Director, CSE.
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, November 7, 2007.
Delhi faces a deadly winter ahead: The many measures taken to check air pollution in the Capital notwithstanding, the winter of 2007 will see Delhiites inhale a concoction of harmful gases and particulate matter, the Centre for Science and Environment has warned in its latest report. A recent analysis of ambient air quality carried out by the CSE has revealed that Delhi is on the verge of losing the gains of its eco-friendly Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) programme introduced in a big way in 2002. ``The air pollution is on its way back to the pre-2000 levels,” warned CSE Director Sunita Narain at a press conference here on Tuesday. “In 2002, the annual average level of respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) in Delhi’s residential areas stood at 143 microgram per cubic metre, which dropped to 115 microgram per cubic metre by 2005. The upward swing has been noticeable since 2006 when the annual average levels jumped to 136 microgram per cubic metre,” she said. What has also set alarm bells ringing is the daily levels of finer particulates smaller than 2.5 micron size (PM2.5) that have already reached 240 microgram per cubic metre by the end of October this year. Studies have shown than an increase of only 10 microgram per cubic metre of PM2.5 is associated with a significant increase in health risks. Presence of higher levels of PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides, which have been mounting to dangerous levels in the Capital, exposes Delhiites to many health problems ranging from asthma to chronic bronchitis and from heart damage to lung cancer.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai, November 7, 2007.
Get ready for a smoggy Diwali: The capital will suffer one of the worst attacks of smog, dust haze and air polluting gases in recent years this Diwali and in the subsequent winter months, a new study said on Tuesday. More and more people could be affected by asthma and lung-related diseases, the study warned. After going through air-pollution monitoring data of the Central Pollution Control Board, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has predicted that Delhi's "clean air advantage" due to public transport running on green fuel Compressed Natural gas (CNG) was about to be lost because of a rising number of diesel vehicles in the city. "The main reason for this alarming rise in air pollution is that the number of personal cars in the city have risen significantly," said Sunita Narain, director of the NGO. In 2000-01, around 580 vehicles were added to Delhi's fleet every day. That figure has now touched almost a thousand. "The point to note is a significant increase in the number of diesel car-registrations every year," she said. CSE has suggested that all cars - especially the diesel vehicles - be taxed, even those that were parked in public places in an apparent effort to encourage the use of public transport. The study said that the diesel car market share had increased to an unprecedented 30 per cent in the last 18 months. "Manufacturers estimate that it will be 50 per cent by 2015," Narain said. Diesel vehicles emit more harmful gases and particles that were suspended in the air compared to petrol cars, it added.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, November 7, 2007
Dim and Grim: An American radio station anchor observed that this newspaper devoted more lead space to reports on air pollution in India’s metros and the worrisome spread of respiratory ailments than it gave to coverage of developments in Pakistan. Is air quality any less important than instability in a neighbouring country? Pollution, climate change and scarcity of resources threaten future national security. A recent study done by scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology concludes that India gets 5 per cent less sunshine than it did 20 years ago. This is because smog created by emissions is keeping out some of the sunlight, creating a dimming effect. Pollution levels were brought down dramatically in the capital with the introduction in 2002 of compressed natural gas in public transport. However, the steep growth in the number of private vehicles and trucks on Delhi’s roads - many of them powered by poor quality diesel - is not only congesting roads, but is also fouling up the air once again, undoing past efforts. Delhi’s poor air quality is making residents sick. It could also affect the flow of tourists to what was a preferred destination. Meteorologists predict another winter season of smog and reduced visibility. This would translate into air travel delays, which would throw business and holiday plans out of gear. Delhi is adding 963 vehicles to its roads everyday and Bangalore, 500. The story is no different in other metros and tier-II and III towns with the result that pollution levels are increasing at alarming rates.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, November 17, 2007.
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| Fuel and vehicle
technology |
Hybrid cars to hit Indian roads in 2008: Hybrid vehicles are set to hit Indian roads next year. Both Honda Siel Cars India and homegrown Mahindra & Mahindra have indicated that they will make their hybrid vehicles commercial by next year. Other auto makers, such as Toyota and Ford, are also exploring the market for hybrid vehicles in the country. Hybrid vehicles run on electricity and another fuel, which could be petrol, diesel or bio-fuel. The car owner has the option to drive the car using either electricity or petrol and can easily switch from one to another. These vehicles help reduce emissions by generating power from an electric motor, burning less fuel for each mile travelled. M&M’s senior vice-president (product development), automotive sector, Arun Jaura told ET: “As I talk to you, we are test-piloting Scorpio’s mild-hybrid variant and full-hybrid variant. We plan to launch them early next year.” Mr Jaura added that both variants would be priced higher than the current Scorpio petrol and diesel models. The full-hybrid Scorpio will run on electricity and petrol. In the mild-hybrid version, a conventional Scorpio’s engine will have the option of being turned off whenever the car is braking or stopped yet restart quickly and cleanly. When the engine is off, accessories can run on electrical power. Honda Siel Cars India will also launch its premium offering Civic in its hybrid avatar next year.
Source:The Economic Times, New Delhi, September 1, 2007
'Diesel cars can't be banned in Capital': The city Government has informed the Delhi High Court of its inability to ban or control the number of diesel-run vehicles on the roads of the capital. In an affidavit, it said "as per standard currently in force all four wheelers have to conform with Bharat Stage-III but private-owned diesel cars can't be banned under the existing law without amending the Motor Vehicle Act." The High Court on August 23 had directed the Government to explore the way to discourage and to contain the number of diesel-run vehicles in the city to control pollution. In response to the Court's query as to what steps it is taking to provide safe public transport, the Government failed to come out with a clear cut policy but said "It is taking various steps for augmenting the public transport system." The Court on August 23 had also directed the city government and the state-run Delhi Transport Corporation to purchase 3,000 buses within three months for phasing out of private Blueline buses by 2012. The Court, which first took suo motu cognisance of the matter on July 10 after a spate of deaths due to rash driving of Blueline buses, had also issued contempt notices to nine bus owners hauled up by Delhi Police for overspeeding.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi, September 7, 2007
THE BIG BIZ STORY: The Tatas’ Rs 1 lakh car is ready. If work at its Singur plant proceeds as per plans, it will hit the roads in a year. How will it impact the automobile and two-wheeler industries? Our correspondent engages in some crystal gazing It is popularly called the first genuine people’s car. And though its price — it will be the world’s cheapest car — has spawned a plethora of jokes, nobody is taking it lightly. The Indian corporate world’s first family has done it in the past with the Indica, when it successfully built the country’s first completely indigenous car. So even the Tatas’ worst critics will not deny that if anyone is capable of pulling off the Rs 1 lakh car, it’s Ratan Tata. There have been studies galore regarding what the Tatas’ small car will do to the passenger car market. While views vary, everyone agrees that both in success and in failure, the Rs 1 lakh car will have a dramatic impact. International automobile consultancy J D Power believes that provided the Tatas get the product right, the car with its attractive price tag will make a major dent in the top-end motorcycle segment. In other words, it will lure customers away from bikes like Karizma, Pulsar 200-220cc, and the Avenger. A study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce (Assocham) on two wheelers versus small cars arrived at more or less the same conclusion. Covering about 3,000 potential customers in metros and semi-urban areas, the study revealed that the Tatas’ car could capture as much as 25 per cent of the two-wheeler market.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi, September 9, 2007
Electrotherm launches electric scooter: The Ahmedabad-based Electrotherm (India) on Monday launched an electrically-driven two-seater scooter, YOSpeed, claimed to be the first electric two-wheeler in the 750-watt category in the country to be approved by the Automotive Regularity Authority of India (ARAI). According to the company’s Managing Director, Shailesh Bhandari, YOSpeed, priced at Rs. 35,446, including taxes. YOSpeed would operate at a maximum speed of 45 km an hour, and its four sets of batteries would require re-charging after 80 km in case of single rider and 65 km in case of pillion riders.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai, September 12, 2007
Low-cost cars won't hit bike sales: TVS: Will rising Indian incomes and proposed low cost cars of Tata Motors and Renault end the dream run of Indian two-wheeler companies? "No way," says Venu Srinivasan, chairman and managing director of TVS Motor, India's third largest two wheeler manufacturer. According to industry statistics, the number of two-wheelers per 1,000 citizens is around 40, considered low compared to other emerging Asian economies like Thailand. The penetration among rural household is around 9 per cent, a third of urban penetration. This, according to Srinivasan, presents immense opportunities to grow the market. He cites the example of Indonesia, where TVS set up a manufacturing plant two months ago. Indonesians continue to buy motorcycles even though their per capita income is twice as much as Indians, while fuel prices are half of that in India. Srinivasan says there are many studies showing that motorcyles will complement low-cost cars. The arguments rest on the fact that since fuel efficiency of even an ultra low-weight car will just be a third of the latest technology bikes, households will use car only on selective occasions.
Source: The Times of India, September 13, 2007
Carmakers looking at low-cost cars for emerging markets: Carmakers are rushing to produce low-cost cars for well under 10,000 euros ($14,000) to tap growing mass markets in countries such as China, India and Brazil. A range of small, compact and economical cars were presented at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) including the Daihatsu Cuore, Fiat 500, Toyota iQ, VW Up and Opel Agila. The French car maker Renault, which produces the low-cost Dacia Logan in Romania, announced in Frankfurt that it was looking at producing cars for countries such as China and Brazil for as little as 2,000 euros. General Motors (GM) is also considering plans to develop a car costing less than $4,000 for these markets, according to CEO Rick Wagoner. But with sales of new cars stagnating in Germany, the biggest European car market, carmakers are also hoping to push up sales as a growing number of consumers are refusing to spend more than 10,000 euros on a car. Rising fuel prices, lack of parking and urban congestion make the agile microcar with space for four people an attractive proposition for many a motorist in big European or North American cities.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi, October 4, 2007
‘Low-cost cars will lead to health, traffic problems’: The new set of ultra low-cost small cars could lead to public health problems while clogging traffic and pushing the already pulverised public transport off the roads, a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has warned. The study said lax emission and safety standards could lead to a crisis in fast developing urban centres when these cars hit the market. CSE claimed that even though these small cars were expected to be more fuel efficient than bigger cars and SUVs, their sheer numbers would undercut the fuel saving possible from the more fuel-efficient two-wheelers and the energy sufficiency possible from public transport. The study warned that if these cars rolled out under the existing lax emission norms, air pollution levels could go haywire. The existing Bharat stage II emission standards are 10 years behind European technology and even the Bharat stage III standards, in force in big cities, are still five years behind Europe, the CSE said. The study warned against diesel variants of super small cars saying emission standards in India allowed diesel cars to emit very high levels of particulates and three times more nitrogen oxides (NOx) than petrol cars.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, October 5, 2007
Soon, your car will come with a mileage tag: While buying a car or a two-wheeler, do you know what mileage you ought to get from the vehicle? The fact is, you don’t. That’s because manufacturers aren’t required to provide you the information though some companies give out confusing figures asterisked with the ‘‘under test conditions’’ label in small print. That is set to change within two years. The government has decided to set up mandatory fuel efficiency standards for all class and type of vehicles, including cars, scooters, bikes, trucks, buses and three-wheelers. The fuel efficiency standard would be like a certificate promising a certain range of kilometres per litre of petrol or diesel that you could expect from your vehicle. Manufacturers could be penalised if their vehicles fail to meet these government-set norms. While developed countries such as the US and Japan and those in Europe have done this long ago, and China has set up stringent norms recently, India’s belated attempt at helping consumers save money as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions has come not a day too late.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, October 5, 2007.
Time’s run out for auto industry, says CSE: Sharing data on fuel efficiency standards with consumers appears to be a prickly subject with the automotive industry as was apparent at a gathering of experts and industry representatives on the issue of meeting global standards. This, despite the fact that such data exists and is shared with the government when companies want to sell their cars or two-wheelers against tenders requiring such disclosures. At the meeting, representatives of Automotive Research Association of India and the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers remained non-committal on making fuel efficiency data available to buyers. But some data put in public domain by ARAI and presented by the Centre for Science and Environment showed that on fuel efficiency, within each segment some car brands were doing well below other brands. Standards could make the industry disclose such data to consumers and help them make informed choices. ‘‘Time has run out for the industry, they got four years to put their house in order. They didn’t move on it. Now we have to learn from other countries and set up mandatory standards without allowing any delaying tactics,’’ Sunita Narain, director of Centre for Science and Environment, said at the meeting.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, October 5, 2007.
Hero Ultra introduces electric scooters: Hero Ultra Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between Hero Cycles and the U.K.-based Ultra Motor Company, on Wednesday said it was planning to come out with a battery powered three-wheeler for the Indian market to be launched in the next 12-15 months. Also, Hero Exports and Ultra Motor Company announced the conversion of their technical alliance into 50:50 joint venture to expand their operations in the country. The joint venture, which sells electric scooters in India, is working on two prototypes for a global hybrid three-wheeler — battery and CNG/diesel powered models. Ultra Motor Co. U.K. Chief Executive Officer Joe Bowman told media persons here that the development of hybrid three-wheeler was complete and the commercial launch would take at least 15 months. It would be a global model, which would be first unveiled in the Indian market.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai, October 11, 2007.
Indian auto giants tie up for hydrogen vehicles: Bajaj Auto, Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra and Eicher Motors have come together to develop hydrogen-blended compressed natural gas (HCNG)-run vehicles. To tackle the problem of rising pollution, the pilot project will use CNG with different blends of hydrogen ranging from 12 per cent to 30 per cent in different vehicles. These vehicles - small three-wheelers, trucks and passenger buses - will be supplied by these manufacturers. Bajaj Auto’s three-wheeler will be the first one to be tested later this month while Tata Motors’ LCV will run on the new fuel in December. A joint-initiative of the ministry of new and renewable energy along with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers’ (Siam), the project will use hydrogen as an automotive fuel for the first time in India. “We will study emission and performance of different vehicles running with different hydrogen blends of up to 30 per cent in the conventional internal combustion engines. The new blend will determine hydrogen as an automotive fuel in India and could lead to much cleaner environment,” said a senior ministry official. After the tests, which are expected to end by mid-2008, new vehicles running on this fuel (HCNG) will be introduced by these manufacturers. Subsequently, the existing CNG fleet will also be covered.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi, November 5, 2007.
New Delhi’s diesel danger: India’s capital is rapidly losing out on the gains it made in terms of improved air quality from the mandatory use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for public transport vehicles, because of a rise in the number of diesel vehicles. “This year, we had widened our pollution monitoring activity across Delhi and we found a significant increase in particulate matter. The rise in diesel vehicles is chiefly responsible for this state of affairs,” said J.K. Dadoo, chairperson, Delhi Pollution Control Committee. Dadoo was speaking at a discussion organized by environmental activist group, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). At the Monday meeting, which included representatives of automobile companies, Sunita Narain, the head of CSE, said there ought to be a strong policy to disincentivize diesel to prevent the “threatening increase in nitrogen oxide emissions and RSPM (respiratory suspended particulate matter) in the last few years”.
Source: Livemint, New Delhi, Dec 11 2007
Taxing time for diesel users: The Delhi government’s decision to curb “increasing pollution due to diesel vehicles” on Monday came after reports over the last two years that the gains in the quality of air achieved from making public transport run on compressed natural gas (CNG) since 2001 were lost because of the growing number of diesel vehicles in the Capital. On November 5, the Hindustan Times first highlighted the fact that in terms of pollution, the air quality of Delhi during the year had become as foul as it used to be before the induction of CNG. NGO Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) analysed data published by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to find that levels of suspended particulate matter and harmful nitrogen dioxide had touched as high a level as they were prior to 2001, when CNG was introduced in the city. That is not all. The Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA) — a watchdog body formed by the Supreme Court — recently submitted that to stem the growth in diesel vehicles, there should be steep tax on the fuel so that there is no or very little difference between petrol and diesel. It proposed a “Health Cess” on the fuel to act as a deterrent for buyers. Bhure Lal, the chairman of EPCA, said on Monday, “I am happy that some cess has been imposed. But it is not steep enough. If asked, EPCA can do a costing study and come out with a proposal about a proper amount of cess on diesel which is needed.”
Source: Hindustan Times, New Delhi, December 25, 2007
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|
Alternative Fuels
and Technology |
CSE urges Centre for better CNG pricing: Favouring natural gas-based transportation and power generation in the national capital, an NGO today recommended better pricing policy for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to encourage its usage in other cities. "The government must encourage increased use of natural gas by keeping its prices below diesel and coal prices to maintain its environmental imperative," Centre for Science And Environment (CSE) today said. In an open letter to the Group of Ministers (GoM) on gas pricing, the NGO has also sought more CNG-based buses for Delhi so that "there is a viable alternative to private transportation." It also suggested power generation in the capital to be based on natural gas. "Using it as a fuel combined with investments in public transport can reduce air pollution substantially in Indian cities," it said. "We believe that the gas pricing formula will be critical in deciding the future use of natural gas in the transportation and power generation sectors," it said in a statement here. It is clear that if natural gas is not priced below the price of its environmentally unacceptable replacement fuels the environmental imperative will be lost," the NGO added. There is also a need to facilitate the introduction of natural gas in the power sector. The ministry of power wants the major cities to secure their power needs from their vicinity to reduce the chances of grid failure, it said.
Source: Zee news, September 13, 2007
Two years' wait ends, new public transport service rolls out in Rajkot: Two years after the GSRTC wound up operations owing to heavy losses, Rajkot city has finally got a new public transport system. The all-CNG bus fleet, to be monitored by the Rajkot Municipal Corporation, began operations from Thursday. The service was inaugurated with the running of a red-coloured Swaraj Mazda from Trikaun Baug to Saurashtra University. Commuters were given a free ride for the same. From Friday, they would be charged Rs 2 for next stop and an additional Re 1 for each next stop. The RMC has awarded the contract for running the service to Raj City Travels agency. The agency will be responsible for maintaining the system and vehicles. While the service began with one bus on Thursday, the contractors are planning a 30-bus fleet. Four more buses will arriving by October 17. The fleet will gradually cover all city routes. “The new public transport is high on comfort and safety. The fares are reasonable, too,’’ said Mayor Dhansukh Bhanderi.
Source: The Indian Express, Ahmedabad, October 12, 2007
CNG stations to come up in Noida: Indraprastha Gas Limited, supplier of eco-friendly compressed natural gas (CNG) to automobiles and piped natural gas (PNG) to households in Delhi, on Friday announced its decision to take up CNG and PNG projects in the national capital region (NCR). The company started work on its city gas distribution project in the adjoining suburb of Noida. The company will set up two CNG stations and measures will be taken to supply PNG to 2,000 households by October 2008, GAIL Chairman and Managing Director U.D. Choubey told newspersons. He said the company initially would invest Rs. 25.24 crore for putting in place a 14-km pipeline and set up two CNG stations. IGL has got an allocation of 0.2 million standard cubic metres per day to meet the requirements of Gautam Buddh Nagar, better known as Noida. “The price of CNG fixed by IGL in Delhi was the lowest in the country. IGL would be approaching the UP Government for certain tax exemptions as have been given by the Delhi Government,” Mr. Choubey added.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai, October 13, 2007
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Bio-diesel producers eye exports: There may not be a market for bio-diesel in India, as yet, but some enterprising firms are investing in bio-diesel plants with an eye on the export market. “At least four bio-diesel manufacturing plants, set to be commissioned in the next few weeks, will export the product to Europe,” said an industry official who’s setting up a plant in Andhra Pradesh. Three plants are coming up in Andhra Pradesh and one in West Bengal, at a total investment of around Rs 600 crore. They will import feedstock from Indonesia and Malaysia, since there is almost no availability of feedstock (like jatropha and pongamia) in the country. Europe has a huge demand for bio-diesel as the bio-diesel blending in diesel programme has been implemented in various countries. “Manufacturers in India can hope to earn at least $200 per tonne more from exporting their product to Europe rather than sell it to the oil companies in India for blending with diesel,” the official said. While domestic diesel is sold at a subsidised price of Rs 34 per litre in Delhi, for instance, the government wanted to procure bio-diesel at Rs 26 per litre. Bio-diesel manufacturers say that anything below Rs 34 per litre is not viable.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi November 27, 2007
Mahindra launches India`s first biodiesel-compliant tractor: Automobile and farm equipment major Mahindra & Mahindra Limited launched biodiesel compliant Arjun International 75757, a 75 HP tractor, targetted at the Maharashtra market. Sanjeev Goyale, senior vice president for sales and marketing at M&M’s Farm Equipment division, said the new tractors will be able to use five per cent biodiesel. He said the company’s research and development team has developed a fuel injection system that will allow mixing of five per cent biodiesel, which will soon become a norm in the country. The tractors will also be able to run without biofuel. Goyale said the company will use major towns in the state as hubs to supply biodiesel within a 50 km radius. M&M dealers in these hub cities will stock biodiesel and distribute it within their territories.
Source: Business Standard, Pune December 17, 2007
MP to allot land to 11 firms for jatropha cultivation: From the initial demand of 90,000 ha of land by companies, the state government has curtailed it to 22,000 ha. As many as 11 firms will be allotted around 22,000 hectares of land for jatropha cultivation to produce bio-diesel in Madhya Pradesh. In a recent decision, the state government curbed the companies’ demand of 90,000 hectares of land to only 22000 hectares, which, according to a senior government official, “will see a combined investment of Rs 3,200 crore.” However, insiders in the state government, expressing concerns to Business Standard, said this was an exercise of allotting land to industries through the back door. “The identified land belong to areas where the poorest of the poors live. They are Jhabua, Barwani and Shivpuri where landowners will hardly protest,” said insiders.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi, December 21, 2007
Greening Troubles: In less than a year from now, all cars on Indian roads are expected to run on ethanol-blended fuel. Ethanol, which is made from molasses, a by-product in sugar manufacturing, is seen as one of the ways to cut down on costly oil imports. It is also regarded as a green fuel. The government has set a deadline of October 2008 for oil firms to begin selling 10 per cent blended fuel, also known as E10. But are we ready for it? There are several roadblocks to meeting the government deadline. One, oil firms are unlikely to have an adequate supply of ethanol. Indeed, they have been struggling to meet the blending requirements for 5 per cent ethanol, which is now mandated in some states. Though oil firms floated tenders for 560 million litres of ethanol, so far they have managed to procure less than a third of their target. When E10 becomes mandatory in October, the situation will further worsen with demand for ethanol expected to jump to 1,130 million litres. Two, Indian car owners and the automobile industry are not yet ready for E10. Though some of the latest car models are geared for higher content of ethanol-blended fuel, a majority of the cars on Indian roads would probably have to be modified if they are to run on E10. This is likely to cause chaos. On the supply side, the situation isn't too good either.
Source: Times of India, New Delhi, 25 December 2007
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Does the auto sector need tax sops?: Taxation adds more than 50 per cent to the vehicle cost in India. Schemes that promoted the export of vehicles have been withdrawn. If India has to become an automotive hub, double the contribution to GDP and provide additional jobs for 25 million persons, then taxes should be restructured, rationalised and reduced. An automobile is no longer a luxury; it promotes entrepreneurship, employment and economic development. India is hugely under-motorised. The penetration levels of cars, two-wheelers, buses and commercial vehicles at 7, 45, 0.7 and 4 per thousand persons, respectively, are woefully low compared to developing nations, including our neighbouring countries. These averages further mask the low penetration in rural areas. It is imperative to integrate rural India with the rest of India for a double digit GDP growth. Railways, good road infrastructure and reasonably taxed vehicles, together, would enable the transfer of goods and services between rural production bases and urban consumption centres. It is not a question of either/or but both. As in countries such as Thailand and China, vehicles targeted at this segment require to be treated differently. Public transportation needs to be improved.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi, September 10, 2007
Crash tests to become mandatory for all vehicles: C-R-A-S-H. It may mean the end of the road for many cars, post-2008. Stringent tests are on the cards, and several popular car models are in danger of being phased out, unless they go in for major technology upgradations. Maruti 800, Esteem, Versa, Omni, Ford Ikon and the half-a-century-old Ambassador, in their present form, are likely to fail the proposed crash tests. These together sell around 2-2.2 lakh units annually, with the M800 selling the most — 6,000 units a month. The Maruti spokesperson declined comment. A Hindustan Motors spokesperson, however, said the company would make the required changes to comply with new norms. The Ford spokesperson was unavailable for comment. Crash tests are meant to check if a vehicle moving at 40 km per hour breaks fully without harming passengers. “For a vehicle to clear the test, its automotive technology should be modernised, for which its maker will have to invest heavily in upgradation, or phase it out,” said a senior official of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), the country’s largest testing and homologating body. The ministry of road transport and highways, which has finalised the draft ‘automotive industry standards’ for the new crash tests (frontal crash and frontal off-set and side-on impact crash safety tests), is awaiting adequate testing facilities.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi, September 18, 2007.
Another cess on vehicles to finance public transport?: If you thought that you only have to deal with a cess on petrol to fund public transport systems, wait till you hear about the latest move being proposed by the Centre. If the move being pushed by the urban development ministry goes through, states could soon be levying additional registration fee on cars and two-wheelers which would be set aside in a dedicated transport fund and used for financing public transport at the state as well as the city level. In addition, the ministry has suggested that states levy additional sales tax on vehicles besides imposing cess on renewal of permits for commercial vehicles as also on the renewal fee on driving licences and vehicle registration. Since urban transport is a state subject, the Centre’s letter to state governments only has an advisory character. But if all states were to agree to the suggestion, the ministry’s calculations estimated an annual mop up of Rs 19,500 crore through the dedicated taxes that could solve the hardship that urban commuters face across India. In the absence of efficient public transport systems, people have had to purchase cars or two-wheelers and in a large number of households in the metros there are two vehicles which not just add to the congestion on the street but are also proving to be a parking nightmare.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, October 5, 2007
Pollution centres on all Delhi borders soon: In what could prove to be a major factor in controlling vehicular pollution in Delhi, plans are being drawn up to have Pollution Under Control (PUC) centre at all the 19 toll gates on the borders so that vehicles coming from other States could be checked and those found polluting beyond desirable limits are turned away. The Delhi Cabinet on Monday discussed the issue of pollution by vehicles at length and directed the Transport Department to prepare a Cabinet note on involving the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for having the pollution control centres at all the toll gates. At the meeting, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf expressed concern at the pollution being caused in Delhi by light commercial vehicles of other States that frequent the Capital on the National Permit. After discussing the issue at length, the Cabinet instructed the Transport Commissioner to prepare a plan of action on controlling this menace.
Source: The Hindu, New Delhi, December, 12, 2007
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1,000 “good quality” buses for Delhi soon: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday said that in order to provide a safe, convenient and modern public transport bus system the Delhi Government is planning to introduce 1,000 good quality private buses through participation of the corporate sector and cooperatives. This move, she said, would also reduce the increasing burden on the Delhi Transport Corporation. Launching a “Legal awareness campaign for school children on traffic rules and regulations”, the Chief Minister said if necessary the Government would also recommend to the Union Government to make the punishment for fatal road accidents more stringent by amending Section 304(A) of the Indian Penal Code. “Children,” she said, “can play a vital role in road safety campaigns. It is also important for pedestrians to be careful on the roads. Likewise, lane-driving, not overtaking and avoiding boarding or alighting from a moving bus can go a long way in reducing road accidents.”
Source:The Hindu, Chennai, September 2, 2007
Come Aug ’08, Amdavadis can enjoy BRTS ride : AMC’s inching towards the first phase of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), announced Municipal Commissioner I P Gautam on Monday adding that by August 2008, the pet project will be operational between Kankaria and RTO via Vasna and Shivranjani junction. And to get the details finalised, experts from Bogota and New York flocked to city with their Indian counterparts at CEPT. While divulging the details, Gautam told reporters here that the experts were here to work out operational details and make out the variations between Bogota and Ahmedabad in the light of the Bogota experience with BRTS. The discussion was in line whether the Bogota, one of the world’s finest BRT models, would suit the local conditions. Also came under scanner was distribution pattern of work force that was to board BRTS buses. Representatives of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDC), New York, and former general manager of Transmileno BRT, Bogota were engaged in close ending discussions with CEPT and AMC officials.
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, September 4, 2007
DTC’s ‘staggering’ demands make HC invite pvt players: Here’s what the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) wants by March 2009: Rs 1,810 crore to buy 4,500 buses; 105 acres costing some Rs 330 crore for 29 more depots; an additional 20,681 personnel. This “staggering” demand to merely keep DTC on its feet has made the Delhi High Court turn to private players like Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland. With the Supreme Court’s 1998 mandate of putting 11,000 buses on Delhi roads by 2007 seeming insurmountable, an HC bench headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal asked the automakers to confirm if they would be able to supply 4,500 buses by March 2009. The Delhi government had on August 23 told the court that the Capital was short of 4,500 buses. When Blueline buses were pulled out after several fatal accidents, the DTC’s fleet of 3,100 buses were unable cope up. Tata, which has a pending contract for 525 buses, has agreed to meet the demand; Ashok Leyland, which has a track record for putting on the road high-capacity low-floor buses in Chennai, has sought time to reply. The 4,500 buses will be shared 60:40 between DTC and private operators. The court has also asked the Delhi government to explain in detail the delay in taking up the Supreme Court’s order: “You started procuring the buses only in August 2001. What were you doing for two years and a month after the Supreme Court order in 1998?”
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, September 11, 2007
DTC to add 525 new buses to its fleet soon: The Delhi Transport Corporation would be adding 500 low-floor buses and 25 air-conditioned buses to its fleet and in all a total of 4,500 new buses are proposed to be inducted, the Delhi Government’s Transport Department has said. It has also pointed out that the issue of expansion of the fleet is at present under consideration of the Finance Department. As for the buses running on stage carriage system, the Department said as and when the five-year permits of these buses would expire, they would be issued temporary permits for four months to avoid creation of a vacuum in services. The existing stage carriage buses would be removed in a phased manner and this would coincide with the induction of new buses on the city transport system. The Transport Department has stated that in view of the increased involvement of private stage carriage buses in accidents, all the buses running under this system had been directed to undergo compulsory physical inspection at 34 depots of Delhi Transport Corporation or the Inspection Centre at Burari.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai, September 13, 2007
Multi-model transport suggested: If you thought that Pune’s transport planners have made a blunder by simultaneously exploring various modes of public transport including the bus rapid transit (BRT) system, sky bus, metro rail, monorail and trams, think again. Top bureaucrats from across the country were unanimous in their opinion that a multi-model transport approach was the need of the hour, particularly in urban centres. As many as 40 senior bureaucrats and heads of transport organisations from various states on Thursday held a two hour brain-storming session at YASHADA in Pune to find solutions to effective execution of the “National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP)”. The meeting was called by the Union public grievance ministry, which has sounded a warning that poor transportation has become one of the major grievances of citizens. What has further agitated the Union government is the fact that a year has passed since it prepared a well researched NUTP. However, the state governments are yet to execute it. State officials continue to debate the merits and de-merits of the schemes recommended in the NUTP and the possible hurdles in executing the same.
Source: The Times of India, Pune, October 5, 2007
Pay more for parking at PPP plexes: Next time you drive out, get ready to dole out a hefty parking fee. The Centre has asked states to formulate citywise parking policy to ban parking on arterial roads and encourage paid parking complexes on public-private partnership (PPP) basis. The combined impact of the move could cause parking rates to increase significantly. The Centre is of the view that land is an important resource that needs to be leveraged. “Land utilised for parking is premium urban space and needs to be charged accordingly. As such, there is a need to have a parking policy for each city and town, regulation of parking space through proper parking fee, ban on parking on major arterial roads and encouraging paid parking complexes on PPP,” a senior urban development ministry official said. The ministry has written to state secretaries to leverage land to part-finance urban transport. At present, parking rates are in the range of Rs 5-15 in most cities. The states have been asked to revise the rates substantially for revenue generation. The revenue thus generated could be efficiently ploughed into state-level urban transport funds for strengthening and upkeep of public transport. The urban development ministry has advised states to take up construction and modernisation of bus stops and terminals on PPP basis not only to reduce the burden on exchequer but also to bring in the best architectural design and space utilisation.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi, October 5, 2007
Revive rickshaws: The quintessential cycle rickshaw may have been pushed off the main roads in the Walled City, but a majority of Delhi’s populace continues to move on it. This low cost, pollution-free vehicle serves as an effective feeder to Delhi Metro and for short trips in residential areas. As cities worldwide are promoting this eco-friendly mode of commute, Times City speaks to experts here to find out what can be done to integrate cycle rickshaws in our transport system. The main problem with cycle rickshaws is that they cause vehicular congestion on main roads — for which its movement has been restricted in Chandni Chowk. ‘‘Cycle rickshaw drive slowly, often holding up fast-moving traffic. Further, rickshaw-pullers have little knowledge and regard for traffic laws. They can’t even be prosecuted as the Motor Vehicles Act is not applicable to non-motorised traffic,’’ said a senior official. Also, the sheer number of unauthorised rickshaws — Delhi has some 10 lakh rickshaws, of which only 99,000 are licensed — is a problem. In the absence of designated parking lots or stands, rickshaw-pullers leave their vehicles by the kerb, especially near bus stops and intersections, eating up valuable road space. But the utility of rickshaws far outweighs the inconveniences. Cities, the world over, have recognised rickshaws as an effective mode of commute for short trips as they are environment friendly, cost-effective and also because they provide employment with little investment. Rickshaws are plying in several countries, including the US, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, UK, Germany, Italy and Australia.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, October 5, 2007
Delhi cabinet approves procuring new DTC buses: To streamline public transport system in the city, the Delhi Cabinet on Monday gave green signal to procuring new buses for the Delhi Transport Corporation by March 2009. Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting here, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said Dimts has been nominated as bid process manager for procurement of 4,500 fully built CNG buses. "Around 1,000 standard CNG buses, another 1,000 semi-low floor CNG buses, 1,500 low floor CNG buses and 1,000 low floor AC CNG buses would be procured at an estimated cost of Rs 1,796 crore," Dikshit said. She said the Cabinet has also sanctioned Rs. 278 crores for procurement of additional depots, construction of more 29 depot buildings, plants and machinery for standard floor height buses and additional expenditure in case additional air conditioned semi-low buses were procured. The decision to introduce the new DTC buses have come in the wake of the Delhi Government's plan to phase out private Blueline buses and replace them with government-owned vehicles.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai, October 15, 2007
PMC launches drive against illegal parking: In a bid to solve the menace of traffic congestion, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Tuesday launched a drive against vehicles parked in no-parking zones. The nuisance detection squad and traffic wardens will take action against such vehicles by fixing jammers to immobilise them. The vehicle will be shifted to a nearby ward office if the owner fails to reach the spot within two hours. Owners who leave their cars in no-parking zones with the driver seated in the vehicles will not be spared, the PMC said. The fines will be as follows: Rs 100 for two-wheelers, Rs 500 each for rickshaws, small tempos and four-wheelers (cars and jeeps) and Rs 2,000 for big tempos, trucks and tourist vehicles (heavy vehicles). According to a statement by the PMC, all vehicles parked in any chowk of the main city roads and within 15 metres from the chowk will be penalised. Action will also be taken against vehicles parked in no-parking areas in front of commercial complexes and near bus stops. Action will also be taken against vehicles parked within 200 metres of state transport bus stands and Pune railway station.
Source: The Times of India, Pune, October 18, 2007
To ease traffic chaos, states asked to set up nodal agencies: The government, concerned about the chaotic traffic scenario in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai, has directed state governments to set up a nodal department dealing with urban transport and planning. Urban development secretary M Ramachandran, in a letter to state chief secretaries, said, "It is desirable to designate one department as the nodal agency for urban transport." At the Centre, the UD ministry is the nodal agency for urban transport and urban planning. However, urban transport is not given due importance at the state level which is seen as a major reason for traffic chaos in cities. "There is no clarity in subject allocation at the state level. Urban transport is overseen by many departments and the subject is divided between different ministries or departments of transport, urban development, town and country planning etc," said a senior ministry official. The nodal department, according to the UD ministry’s proposal, will also coordinate with the unified mass transit authority likely to be set up to deal with transport issues in million-plus population cities.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, October 22, 2007
Govt for effective transport system before Commonwealth Games: Pitching for an effective transport system before the Commonwealth Games, the Union Urban Development Ministry wants the Delhi government to implement an intelligence transport system (ITS) in the city. "The ITS can be an effective system to tackle the Commonwealth Games rush and we are forming a committee to explore the system in the city," M Ramachandra, Secretary, Urban Development, said. "It should be implemented not only in Delhi but in all major cities across the country." Delhi roads are already witnessing a heavy load as there are more vehicles in the capital city than in any other major city in the country. The load will increase manifold as there will be thousands of sportspersons and visitors in the capital during the Games in 2010. "The system is basically an IT-enabled system which will help in regulating the traffic in a smooth and secured manner during the rush hour. It involves the entire gamut of transportation including signalling, tracking, road condition, availability of vehicles and traffic pattern," said Ramachandra.
Source: The Times of India, October 22, 2007
Pay and park soon on 15 city roads: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will soon introduce pay-and-park system for four-wheelers on 15 main thoroughfares across the city claiming this measure, part of its traffic policy, which will discourage people from using personal vehicles. The PMC already has similar facilities on Jangli Maharaj Road, Fergusson College Road and Tilak Road. It had recently inaugurated the mechanised parking at Jangli Maharaj Road and the parking structure at Minerva Theatre near Mahatma Phule Mandai will be inaugurated soon. However, the PMC’s track record on developing dedicated parking plots is anything but dismal. Of the 29 plots reserved for parking in the city Development Plan (DP), only 11 have been developed, three plots are no longer marked for parking while action is yet to be initiated for developing the rest of the plots. The introduction of pay-and-park on streets will eat into the carriagewidth but the civic administration argues the parking charges should discourage vehicle owners from bringing their personal vehicles on the road. PMC traffic planner Srinivas Bonala told The The Indian Express: “The facility will be introduced in areas already earmarked for parking by the traffic police. Hence there is no question of reducing the existing carriagewidth of the roads. Besides, the facility will discourage use of personal vehicles as the owner has to shell out money for parking.” The parking charges will be Rs 5 per hour as in the case of existing pay-and-park facilities. But vehicle owners can opt for monthly passes. “While the contractors will be responsible for a vehicle going missing, any loss or damage to accessories will be the vehicle owners’ responsibility,” Bonala said. The civic administration has forwarded five tender proposals to the Standing Committee seeking its approval to allot the contracts for the facility on the 15 city roads to private contractors for a period of one year.
Source: The Indian Express, Pune, October 27, 2007
Congestion, road, fuel tax on the anvil: A policy to govern public transport, which weighs the adverse effects of greenhouse gas emissions on climate, drafted by a high-level government committee and being considered by the Planning Commission, the apex planning body in India, is ambitiously proposing to discourage “personalized mode of transport” while pushing public transport as the alternative. It also seeks to slap additional excise duties on automobiles that do not meet prescribed fuel efficiency norms. Mint reviewed a copy of the draft policy document. The policy’s wish list also proposes a congestion tax, levy of higher parking fees, increased vehicle registration charges, increased fuel tax as well as an annual road tax based on carbon emissions. The draft policy also proposes to link financial payments for development of cities under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, a Rs 50,000 crore Centrally sponsored scheme, to the ability of state governments to raise a dedicated “transport fund” by imposing an additional cess on automobiles when they are registered by vehicle owners.
Source: Live Mint, New Delhi, December 21 2007
11 cities vie for share of WB fund for green transport: Eleven cities, including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune, are in the race for a part of the $25 million earmarked by the World Bank to turn their transport systems greener. Only six to eight of these cities will be able to corner the funds which are meant to help India reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, under a global agreement. The other cities which are in the race for availing funds from the World Bank progeny — Green Environment Facility (GEF) are Indore, Mysore, Ajmer, Vijaywada, Jalandhar, Thiruvananthapuram and Naya Raipur. "The cities will be shortlisted depending upon quality of their project proposals and preparations for public transport system," urban development secretary M Ramachandran said. The funds are likely to be sanctioned by June 2008. GEF has earmarked funds for greenhouse gas reduction and a $25 million corpus out of that is slotted for public transport projects to help reduce emission of greenhouse gases.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, December 26 2007
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Procure 4,500 more buses by 2009, HC tells Delhi Govt: The Delhi High Court today pulled up the city government for not complying with the Supreme Court order directing it to run 10,000 buses in the capital and asked it to add 4,500 more to its existing fleet by March 2009 to bridge the gap. A Bench comprising Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Reva Khetrapal rejected the plea of the Delhi Transport Corporation which sought more time to comply with the court's order as crores of Rs would be needed in this direction. To this the Bench said "if you can find money for making commonwealth stadium then you can also get money for the buses," adding that at least 10,000 buses must run on the roads in the capital and the number is "non-negotiable". "We appreciate your concern for the games but you are gearing everything for 2010. Your whole attention is on the ten days affairs due to which proper attention is not being given to the concern of common man," the Court observed. The Court also expressed concern over the rising number of accidents caused by the blueline buses. "It's shocking that public transport is killing the general public on a daily basis. I haven't heard any public transport system in the world which kills a person a day," the Bench observed. The Government informed the Court that it was recruiting 5,000 additional forces out of which 1,000 would be for strict implementation of the traffic rules.
Source: Sahara Samay, September 10, 2007
‘Float GPS tenders in 6 weeks’: The Delhi High Court today directed the government to float tenders within six weeks for installing GPS systems on DTC and Blueline buses. The system is meant to help the authorities determine if a bus is speeding by tracking the time it takes to move from point to point. “GPS will be used to track via satellite the time which a bus took to travel from one point to another,” a Bench led by Justice Mukul Mudgal observed. The counsel for Tata Motors, meanwhile, opposed the idea of installing the expensive satellite-based device, saying all it takes to check speeding is the practice of drivers “glancing at the speedometer once in a while”. The court also ordered feasibility reports on introducing battery-operated buses, hiring drivers with licences from outside Delhi after putting them through skill tests and training people to function as traffic wardens.
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, September 11, 2007
HC expresses anguish over Blueline accident: Terming the killing of seven people by an overspeeding Blueline bus as "shocking", the Delhi High Court has summoned the counsel for NCT government and blueline operators on Monday for an urgent hearing on the matter. "It is becoming shocking day by day," a Division Bench of Justice Mukul Mudgal and Reva Khetrapal said about the accident on Sunday involving a blueline bus. The Bench said "now, we have to withdraw all directions in favour of Blueline bus operators." The court's direction came after Anup J Bhambani brought the accident to its notice and sought appropriate directions to the Government and Blueline operators. Five women, a four-year-old boy and a man were killed and eight others, including five children, seriously injured when a Blueline bus ran over them as they were crossing the Delhi-Agra road at Ali village in south Delhi.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai, October 8, 2007
Delhi to HC: Bluelines phase-out by Nov 15 but.….: The Delhi government today submitted to the High Court a 13-page contradiction on the phasing out of Blueline buses, which have come to be known as killers for involvement in several fatal accidents. On one hand the government report to Delhi High Court promises a phase-out policy by November 15. On the other hand it requests the court to consider extending Blueline bus permits beyond December for want of an alternative. A division bench of Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Reva Khetrapal declared that Principal Secretary (Transport) D M Spolia’s report was nothing more than “elegant use of English” and asked for objective answers in simple English. After a Blueline bus ran over seven persons in Badarpur last week, the court had sought answers to two questions: Could the government formulate a phase-out policy for the Blueline service within four weeks? Why should two extensions of four months each permitted by the court earlier now not be given? In answer to the first, the report says: “All measures are being taken to expedite the scheme for phasing out Blueline buses and introduction of corporate and co-operative entities for management of private stage carriage buses.” It says the Delhi Integrated Multimodal Transit System (DIMTS) is already on the job.
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, October 12, 2007
Jump in car numbers fuelling pollution: The government’s failure to provide the promised number of public transport buses has led to an exponential growth of private cars, especially diesel variants, pushing Delhi back to the pre-2002 level of air pollution, the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) has told the Supreme Court. Giving details of the prevailing alarming level of pollution that matched the pre-CNG pollution level of 2002, the Bhure Lal-headed EPCA has sent a note to the apex court requesting it to take up the matter urgently for the purpose of starting second generation reforms to make people breathe easy. This was mentioned before a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Arijit Pasayat and S H Kapadia by amicus curiae Harish Salve and advocate Aparajita Singh. The Bench agreed to hear the matter for the purpose of issuance of appropriate directions. The EPCA note said that the government is in contempt of the Supreme Court’s 1998 ruling which specified that 10,000 buses must ply on the roads. It added: ‘‘Each year, while the cars are increasing, bus numbers are decreasing, leading to problem of pollution and congestion.’’ The respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM), which had dropped from 143 micro-grams per cubic metre in 2002 to 115 in 2005, has again reached the level of 136 micrograms per cubic metre. Nitrogen oxide levels have crossed the danger mark, which are a clear sign of pollution from vehicular emission, it said. Blaming the government for reneging on its promise before the court to provide adequate number of public transport buses in the city and NCR towns like Gurgaon, Faridabad, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad, it said: ‘‘Little has been done to plan for public transport in the city and connectivity between the growing cities of the National Capital Region.’’ It was no wonder that National Highway-8 — the Delhi-Gurgaon road designed for traffic volume of 1,60,000 vehicles by 2015 — already appeared to be getting congested with 1,30,000 cars vying for space, EPCA said.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, November 17, 2007
SC seeks Centre’s reply on diesel pollution report: The Supreme Court has sought the Centre’s reply on a report by the Environment Protection Control Authority, terming Delhi’s air pollution as critical because of the rise of diesel vehicles on the road. The authority recommended a ban on registration of diesel vehicles for personal use. “This restriction should also be applied to vehicles entering the city from neighbou-ring states as otherwise, the influx of these vehicles into the city will continue to grow and will negate the gains of pollution control measures,” the report said. The court, which issued the notice last Friday, has given the Centre four weeks to reply. The pollution report correlated increase in respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) and Nitrogen Oxide (NOX) levels with higher registration of diesel vehicles in Delhi. The number of diesel cars has increased by nearly 425 per cent over the last decade, but fell after the introduction of CNG, the report said.
Source: Hindustan Times, New Delhi, November 21, 2007
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Pollution blues hit citizens, PMC remains unmoved: Even as rampant pollution in the city is leading to a drastic rise in cases of bronchitis, wheezing, common cold, skin rashes, eye infections and asthma, it appears as if nobody is bothered about its rub-off effect on generation next. “The amount of lead produced by vehicle emissions continues to present an increasing hazard. Increasing number of kids are suffering from symptoms such as falling appetite, leading to anaemia while asthma is the other common ailment on the rise,” says city’s leading paediatrician Dr Jayant Navrange. Pune, ranked the fifth most polluted city in Asia according to a World Bank report in 2003, appears to have hit a downwards spiral with the number of vehicles registered in the city growing at around nine per cent a year. The city branch of Indian Medical Association had in 1996 conducted a detailed survey on pollution and health hazards in the city and submitted the report to the then Municipal Commissioner Ramanath Jha. As to be expected of any such report submitted to the civic administration, it too served no purpose but as a means to gather dust in its cupboard. Dr Pravin Joshi, the then IMA president who initiated this study says the effort was made taking into consideration the opinions of all stakeholders but a good 11 years have passed but nothing has come of it, he laments.
Source: The Indian Express, Pune, September 8, 2007
30 per cent of Bangalore's children suffer from asthma: It has been called the IT capital of India. However it is not too long before Bangalore will become the Asthma capital of the country. Various studies conducted by organisations including the WHO and UNICEF show that over 30 per cent of the children in Bangalore suffer from asthma. The disturbing and growing trend in Karnataka is being attributed to steady industrial growth and vehicular population. Records available with the Road Transport Authority show that at least 1500 new vehicles are registered daily. Dr Mohan Shenoy, a general practitioner in Bangalore, said that the number is likely to increase over the coming years as there seems to be no respite from pollution from industries and vehicles in the city. It is up to the parents to take utmost care and ensure that their children wear masks every time they are out in the open, he said. Statistics reveal that in 1979 only 9 per cent of the children were affected with asthma, but the figure rose to almost 30 per cent in 2007. Dr. Prakash Hegde another general practitioner, said that there is no point in complaining now. Parents should not ignore the problem and should seek medical help. In many cases, parents mistake this problem for a cough and end up giving self medication. This should be avoided, he says.
Source: Rediff website, November 6, 2007
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Number of CNG vehicles in country reaches 1,080,000: Number of vehicles running at CNG all over the country has become 1,080,000 which is 116 per cent more compared to June 2004. According to the report, an increase in the number of CNG stations in the country has also been recorded and this number with a 172 per cent increase has become 1,488. In June 2004, the number of vehicles running at CNG throughout the country was 500,000 while the price of petrol was Rs.40 per litre. During these three years, gas production in the country increased by 188 MMCFD. According to the Pakistan Petroleum Information Service, production of gas increased by 566 billion cubic feet from December 2006 to June 2007 and has reached 32.3 trillion cubic feet. The analysts said that the reason of the vehicles’ change over to CNG is the continuous increase in the prices of petrol and diesel since 2004.
Source: The Pakistani Newspaper, October 10, 2007
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