Govt amends rules to include tractors running on bio-fuel

NEWDELHI: In a bid to promote biofuel run vehicles, the government on Monday issued a notification amending the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 to include dual-fuel vehicles for agricultural tractors and construction equipment vehicles.

Agriculture tractors, power tillers, construction equipment vehicles and combine harvesters can now be converted to run on bio-fuels.

According to the notification, dual-fuel with primary fuel as diesel and secondary fuel as CNG, Bio-CNG and LNG has been added in section 115 A of the act. According to the section, every agricultural tractor and construction equipment vehicle manufactured shall be maintained and used by its owner in such condition that visible and gaseous pollutants emitted by them comply with the standards prescribed in this rule.

“Vehicles are either run on diesel, petrol or CNG, now the diesel category vehicles including agricultural tractors and construction equipment vehicles can be converted to dual fuel,”an official at ministry of road transport and highways said. “With dual fuel usage of vehicles the advantage is that they will use 60% diesel and 40% bio-CNG or LNG and hence cause less pollution and also turn out to be cost effective. As per the notification you can either get it retrofitted or the original equipment manufacturers can make them,” said the official. The mass emission standards for CNG or Bio-CNG or LNG dual fuel engines shall be the same as the mass emission standards applicable for diesel engines of agriculture tractors, power tillers, construction equipment vehicles and combine harvesters with exception that the HC (Hydrocarbon) shall be replaced by NMHC (Non-Methane Hydrocarbon) on measurement basis.

AGRICULTURE TRACTORS AND POWER TILLERS CAN NOW BE CONVERTED TO RUN ON BIO-FUELS