By August 2001, Delhi had the largest fleet of CNG buses in the world. There were 2,394 buses, over 27,000 autos and 14,000 other vehicles running on CNG. But without adequate supply of gas, the future of these vehicles looks bleak.

March 2001: The confusion game
When the deadline for converting the entire public passenger transport fleet to CNG expired, all parties concerned thronged the SC to air their grievances - schools, private bus operators and auto drivers' unions. They either pleaded for more time, raised doubts about CNG technology or questioned the wisdom of depending on an untried technology. The court, in its order of March 26, gave a conditional extension to commercial transporters to run diesel vehicles till September 30, 2001. The extension was given on the condition that the operators would obtain special permits issued by the Delhi administration on the basis that the operators had placed orders to replace their diesel vehicle with CNG.

From a strategy of inaction, it was now a strategy of confusion. Saboteurs began a game of zeroes. New fangled terminologies - ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD) and low sulphur diesel (LSD) - become fashionable overnight. The trick was the use of zero without explaining the difference adequately. While LSD has 0.05 per cent (500 ppm) sulphur ULSD has less, around 0.001 per cent (10 ppm) sulphur - a difference of 50 times. But proponents of diesel glossed over this difference and talked publicly that ULSD is an easier and cleaner alternative but actually meant LSD. They also don't explain that this diesel is already available in Delhi and that it will be 30 times more carcinogenic than CNG, according to most international studies.

Meanwhile, political parties got busy accusing each other for the ongoing mess. Parvez Hashmi, Delhi's transport minister, demanded ad nauseam an alternative fuel, never mind he never cared to spell out one. Ram Naik, the Union minister of petroleum and natural gas, launched a campaign to get the existing diesel in Delhi - 0.05 per cent or 500 ppm sulphur diesel, introduced only a few months ago in Delhi under immense pressure from the court, to be declared a 'clean fuel'. Privately and in government committees nobody talked of 10 ppm sulphur diesel.

June: More vehicles, longer queues
The Delhi government said that the non-availability of gas could lead to another transport crisis. It filed an affidavit in the court saying the September 30 deadline cannot be met as MPNG is not supplying adequate CNG. IGL promised to instal booster compressors at its daughter stations (stations without any compressors) and convert them to daughter-boosters (stations with compressors) by September, which would reduce lines.

July: The queues get longer
Media reports of heart-rendering stories of how nights are spent at CNG stations in the sweltering heat were by now common. Drivers don't see their children. Don't sleep. Don't bathe. Lines stretch for 2-3 km. Still no action. "I think I will leave my photo at home for my family to remember me. The court can pass orders. But what about us," a bus driver was quoted saying.

August: The crisis deepens
August 5: Five people are injured as a Telco CNG bus catches fire. Media, politicians and experts rush to discredit the technology saying there are no safety norms for CNG vehicles. Next day in the parliament, members say CNG technology is not safe or viable. Naik tells parliament that it will take 4-5 years to increase CNG supply beyond the existing capacity to meet Delhi's vehicle needs. "No more gas is available physically."

Madan Lal Khurana, former chief minister of Delhi and local BJP leader, says that central ministries, including the ministry of environment and forests, have decided to file a joint affidavit in the SC asking to it consider other clean fuels, including 0.05 per cent low sulphur diesel. He calls for a strike by transporters.

The inquiry report on the CNG bus fire says that CNG leakage was not the cause, a short-circuit in the electrical system close to the engine led to the accident.

conversion.Congress transport minister, Parvez Hashmi, leads the second group of transporters to ask the Centre to supply gas. Delhi CM writes to the prime minister asking for his intervention before a "serious law and order situation" develops. "I draw your attention to the urgency of ensuring adequate and reliable supply of CNG. I have noted my concern that the Centre has not notified safety and emission norms for CNG fuel," she writes. But her transport minister is not convinced. He says "the recent bus blast has left us jittery. We are not sure if CNG is a safe option."

New bait is thrown: Naik suggests that instead of CNG let them drive on imported Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG). CNG queues continue to get longer and longer.

August 13: TERI director-general, R K Pachauri, addresses a press conference saying that air pollution has actually increased in the city. "We believe ultra low sulphur diesel is a far superior option compared to CNG." The rain is responsible for clean air, not CNG, say his scientists. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) scientists refute his theory. "TERI should get its measuring instruments properly calibrated by us," they say.

August 16: Dinesh Mohan, Henry Ford professor at IIT-Delhi, releases a study, this one paid for by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). He says pollution levels will go up if the SC order is implemented. "Contrary to popular perception CNG will not reduce pollution. It will lead to more carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions as compared to 500 ppm sulphur diesel," says the learned professor, whose study is based on the assumption that people will switch from using CNG buses to two-wheelers and this will increase pollution.

August 17: Affidavits are filed in court. Delhi government wants the court to allow low sulphur diesel, but it qualifies that this is only till CNG supply becomes adequate. Wants the September 30 deadline to be extended. Union government seeks a ban on conversion of private vehicles to CNG. It requests the court that Euro II compliant diesel buses be allowed in Delhi. "Now CNG and diesel options are almost comparable, both having their own merits, with CNG buses having marginal advantage in respect to particulate matter emissions," says the oil and gas ministry in total disregard for scientific evidence.

The court holds firm. Rejects all affidavits, which it says must be given to Harish Salve, amicus curiae. But is annoyed at the long queues and inadequate supply. "We have been repeatedly told that supply is adequate and that IGL is prepared to meet future demands. Even today we are informed that there is no shortage of CNG to meet the present demand as also the future demand to implement the orders. Can you tell us who is taking us for a ride?," ask the judges. The court says that "there appears to be mishandling of the CNG supply issue. The court then directed Salve "to work out some solution." The next hearing is scheduled for September 21 by which time the court says, "We hope we shall be informed that proper remedial steps have been taken and there are no queues of autos and buses and other vehicles waiting to get CNG at the filling stations."

August 19: With the court strategy failed, new games begin. Delhi government first announces that it will levy a sales tax on CNG. August 21: CM Dikshit rules out any proposal to impose sales tax. She meets Ram Naik once again to push for supply and safety. Naik maintains that further registering of CNG vehicles will be a problem. Gas supply at the national level will not improve, he says, so LPG is a better option.

August 28: Khurana leads transporters to another strike. Khurana proposes that Central government should issue an ordinance saying that existing diesel will be allowed as clean fuel. He and his pack of Delhi MPs meet the home minister, L K Advani, along with petroleum and surface transport ministers. BJP sources brief the press that the Centre has agreed to promulgate an ordinance.

August 30: The prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, convenes a meeting at his residence. Home minister, petroleum minister and surface transport ministers are present. T R Baalu, environment minister and, D K Biswas, chairperson of CPCB, are also asked to join, for once. The PM takes an active interest in the issues, say reports. Environment minister takes a tough stand arguing that existing diesel is not an alternative. Law minister says that an ordinance will amount to insulting the SC.

Khurana is disappointed. The meeting rejects the idea of an ordinance on allowing existing diesel vehicles to ply in Delhi. Reports are conflicting. But they suggest that the only decision is to ask the SC to allow the use of alternative fuels (but does not agree to which fuel should be proposed). It has decided to appoint a committee under R A Mashelkar, director-general of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), to work out an auto fuel policy.

September 5: Mashelkar has not heard from the government.The saga continues. Read future issues of Down To Earth to keep posted.

People have started noticing the change in Delhi's air. Peak pollution, the highest level reached in the year, has come down for every key pollutant

Drivers don't see their children. Don't sleep. Don't bathe. Lines stretch for 2-3 km. Still no action

The inquiry report on the CNG bus fire says that CNG leakage was not the cause, a short-circuit in the
electrical system close to the engine led to the accident

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data for ITOcrossing reveals that Delhi pollution levels have not gone down dramatically, but they have stabilised. This is because Delhi has added over 200,000 vehicles last year. Pollution levels have actually come down in 2000 from 1998 levels for the key pollutants - particulate matter (PM10) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). For nitrogen oxdiide (NO2), the annual peak level has slightly increased in 2000 after coming down in 1999, but the average levels show a consistent decline. This is only to be expected because petrol vehicles also contribute heavily to NO2. In case of PM10, the annual peak pollution, which invariably comes in December, has come down by more than half.

People have started noticing the change, says CPCB chairperson D K Biswas. "The proof of the pudding lies in the eating and there is no better sign of the air becoming cleaner than just breathing the air and knowing the difference." Even those visiting Delhi can feel the difference. M S Swaminathan, a noted agricultural scientist who lives in Chennai, during his recent visit to Delhi says the air is a lot cleaner than before. "Only technically qualified people or scientists or the courts can answer correctly whether CNG is the answer to the problem of pollution. But for ordinary Delhiites, it is a big relief as pollution has definitely come down," writes Mahesh Kapasi in the daily The Pioneer.