Only cleaner BS VI fuels in Delhi from April 2018

NEW DELHI: Delhi’ s gas stations will only sell the world’s cleanest petrol and diesel from April 1, the government said on Wednesday, advancing the rollout of Bharat Stage (BS)-VI fuels by two years to fight rising pollution.

BS- III and BS- IV cars and twowheeler scan run on B S-VI fuels. But any emission gains will only be margin alina city whose pollution woes are often compared to a “gas chamber”.

The decision also signals a political statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on tack ling pollution— especially given that the Delhi government has come up short on solutions to tackle the problem. Although the government did not say automakers would have to start selling BS-VI cars and motorbikes, the move could bring pressure on the industry to advance the introduction of such vehicles that are now scheduled for an April 2020 rollout in India.

The government also asked oil manufacturing companies to study the feasibility of providing BS-VI fuels to the National Capital Region by April, 2019.

In a statement, the petroleum ministry said the measures would help mitigate the problem of air pollution in and around Delhi.

“The decision to leapfrog directly from BS-IV to BS-VI is also in line with Hon’ble PM’s commitment at @COP21 to voluntarily cut our carbon emis- sions…,” petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, referring to India’ s commitment to reduce emission of greenhouse gases under the Paris accord signed two years ago.

BS emission standards regulate the output of air toxic particles from motor vehicles, identified as one of the biggest polluters in Delhi, a city of 17 million people that has been enveloped in such hazardous smog this month that schools were briefly ordered shut, coal-fired power switched off and construction work stopped. BS-VI standards will limit the level of sulphur in fuels. It was 100 ppm( parts per million) under BS-III, halved to 50 ppm under BS-IV and with BS-VI it will be 10 ppm. HTC