|
Fumes choke lungs in Faridabad: Delhi
and Faridabad may be part of the National Capital Region (NCR), but when it comes to
pollution levels, they are worlds apart. While Delhi has been able to bring down pollution
levels drastically with the introduction of CNG and banning thoroughfare to trucks,
Faridabad has been marked as one of the nine highly polluting towns in the country,
according to the Central Pollution control board (CPCB).
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 15/6/2004
Pollution a serious public health hazard: While pollution may
not cause as many heart attacks as high blood pressure, it is a serious risk factor said
the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Heart Care Foundation of India, K.K. Aggarwal.
"Pollution is a serious public health problem and particulate matter pollution is
especially dangerous," claimed Dr. Aggarwal, adding that traffic is one of the worst
sources of pollution. "We have an eight-year-old study carried out among 5,000
adults. It shows that people who lived near major roads were more likely to die of a
cardio-vascular problem than those who don’t".
Source: The Hindu, New Delhi, 9/6/2004
Fat children suffer more from air pollution: Obese children are more vulnerable
to the harmful effects of air pollution than their slimmer classmates, according to a
study. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, found fat youngsters
five times more likely to be vulnerable to traffic fumes and industrial smog. Dr Heike
Luttmann-Gibson, who led the study, said: "Given the epidemic of obesity in children,
it might be we are developing a population that is more susceptible to air
pollution."
Source: The Pioneer, New Delhi, 8/6/2004
Lucknow: City gasping for fresh air!: As Lucknow gears up to observe the World
Environment Day, the city continues to live on the tenterhooks, gasping for a fresh breath
of air which is hard to be found. Supply of contaminated water continues to haunt
Lucknowites as the denizens grapple with the worst ever threat from water-borne diseases
in the recent times.
Source: The Pioneer, Lucknow, 5/6/2004
Air pollution level in Varanasi alarming: The air pollution level at most of the
main crossings in this holy city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh has reached to an alarming
level, resulting in increase of about 50% cases of various respiratory problems and
diseases. These results came to light in the air pollution tests carried out by the
Environment Research Unit of Society for Social Action and Research (SSAR), which released
a summary of its reports in Varanasi, on the eve of World Environment Day.
Source: The Pioneer, Lucknow, 5/6/2004
Report to help tackle air pollution: The Boston-based Health Effects Institute has in
its report on "Health Effects of Outdoor Air Pollution In Developing Countries of
Asia: A Literature Review" noted that given the high levels of air pollution in many
Asian cities - exceeding 100 microgramme/cum -- the public health impact could be
substantial as even an increase of just 10 mg/cum increases mortality by 0.5 per cent.
This Asia-wide review was undertaken by HEI in partnership with the Clean Air Initiative
for Asian cities to help inform regional policy makers about the state of the science
concerning air pollution and health in major Asian cities. Presenting the report in Delhi
this week, the president of HEI, Daniel Greenbaum, said this review is the first
systematic identification of all peer reviewed Asian studies on the effects of air
pollution on health. Ironically, while the review considered over 138 studies between 1980
and 2003 that assessed the extent of illness and deaths in China, India, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and South Korea, it found that only 28 of these qualified
for further systematic analysis, based on their ability to meet prespecified quality
criteria. In response to the findings, the Centre for Science and Environment has urged
the Indian Government to immediately strengthen policy support to scientists in India.
Source: The Hindu, New Delhi, 22/5/2004
Mumbai: Your city’s air is India’s worst: The quality of air Mumbai breathes
has slid way beyond safe levels to the worst polluted among seven major cities nationwide.
The indication is clear from results - posted on the Central Pollution Control Board
website - for air quality measurements on select days from January to April for Delhi,
Mumbai, Kanpur, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Vadodara and Chennai.
Source: The Indian Express, Mumbai, 2/5/2004
Traffic polluting Palampur’s environment: The local police and civil
authorities are worried over the sharp increase in the noise pollution and gross violation
of traffic rules in town. The town has the distinction of having highest number of
vehicles in the district. The health authorities say that there is manifold increase in
the cases of asthma and TB here because of increasing pollution.
Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 6/4/2004
^Top |
|
| Fuel and vehicle
technology |
Carmakers want you to discard
your old car: The auto industry is pressing the government for bringing a policy for
scrapping in-use vehicles. About 70 million vehicles, both commercial and private, will be
affected. The issue was raised during the recent CEOs’ interaction with the finance
minister P Chidambaram. The FM is understood to have told the industry to come back with a
concrete proposal, specifying the cut-off point for the vehicles.
Source: The Financial Express, New Delhi, 10/6/2004
‘Huge investment required to produce low sulphur oil’: Dr K S
Balaraman, Executive Director of Centre for High Technology, New Delhi stressed that
efficient and cleaner technology is a must for the oil refineries for the safety of
environment, human and animal health. Delivering a lecture as the chief guest on National
Technology Day observed at the Regional Research Laboratory here recently, Dr Balaraman
spoke about the growing demand of oil in India and its import from other oil producing
countries. In his speech "Environmental Management in Petroleum Refineries," Dr
Balaraman highlighted that huge investment is required for upgrading the refineries to
produce low sulphur oil and other pollutants.
Source: The Sentinel, Guwahati, 14/5/2004
Roadmap for hydrogen cars: The Indian motown is joining the hydrogen fuel-cell
bandwagon. The majors – led by M&M and Maruti – in a joint initiative with
ministry of non-conventional energy sources (MNES), are planning to put hydrogen fuel-cell
vehicles on Indian roads by 2008. The ministry has formed four committees, which will
prepare a roadmap for the use of hydrogen
fuel cells in various applications, including transportation.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 3/5/2004
Delhi: CNG and diesel prices may rise: With the Assembly elections over, prices
of CNG and diesel are likely to increase in the city. Delhiities may have to pay more for
water, power and bus tickets also. The financial health of Delhi has worsened over the
years as the total accumulated debt has now reached around Rs 14,000 crores. To cover-up
this huge accumulated debt, the Delhi government may have to increase tariff of several
services. The Delhi government’s first priority is to table a proper budget. Besides,
water tariff is also likely to increase in the city.
Source: The Asian Age, New Delhi, 12/5/2004
Maruti to ink deal for making diesel engines: Maruti has said it could soon ink
an agreement with one of the global engine makers it is in talks with, including
France-based Peugeot, to produce diesel engines in the country. "It (the agreement)
should not take much time. The agreement will be signed this year," said Maruti Udyog
managing director Jagdish Khattar. Maruti, 54.2 per cent owned by Suzuki Motor Corp of
Japan, is in talks with a number of diesel engine makers, including Peugeot and troubled
Italian automaker Fiat, to manufacture diesel engines locally.
Source: The Financial Express, New Delhi, 6/5/2004
Bajaj signs deal with aussie firm to reduce emissions: Bajaj Auto Ltd has signed a
deal with an Australian-based company to equip its auto rickshaws with a new fuel
injection system that will increase fuel economy and reduce emissions. The technical
cooperation agreement will see orbital engine corporation limited, Australia’s fuel
injection technology applied to a significant volume of Bajaj’s auto rickshaw three
wheeler vehicles. Ucal Fuel Systems Ltd, which entered into a deal with Orbital in January
2003 to manufacture Orbital’s fuel injection systems in India, will supply Bajaj.
Source: The Financial Express, New Delhi, 4/5/2004
^Top
| Alternative Fuels
and Technology |
GSPL gas grid reaches Ahmedabad: Gujarat
State Petronet Ltd (GSPL) has reached a major milestone by taking its existing gas grid
from Vadodara to Ahmedabad-Kalol. With the completion of this 133-km-long grid in less
than 12 months, the total length of the GSPL grid, stretching from Hazira in south Gujarat
to Kalol in north Gujarat, now stands at 354 kms. The Ahmedabad ‘gas dispatch
centre’ of GSPL was dedicated to the people of the State by the Chief Minister, Mr
Narendra Modi. GSPL has already commenced the supply of gas to the Ahmedabad Electricity
Company (AEC), whose 100 MW Vatva power plant had been lying dormant for the past three
years.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 14/6/2004
Choke again on Environment Day; CNG remains a far cry: Another
World Environment Day has dawned by Ahmedabad is still not breathing easy. As the world
commemorates the day, people here will start choking amidst vehicles spewing noxious
fumes. For, little has been done to clean up the air. Work on laying of gas pipeline is
going slow and some in the AMC allege that it is due to lack of coordination between the
civic body and the Gujarat Adani Energy Limited which has been given the licence to
develop gas distribution network in the city.
Source: The Times of India, Ahmedabad, 5/6/2004
Delhi: Eco-friendly CNG may tax users’ patience: The
environment friendly fuel will soon leave the environment activists fuming in the Capital.
The City Government’s Sales Tax Department (STD) has recommended a whopping 20 per
cent sales tax on the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The move aims at raising Rs 150 crore
as tax per annum. "Since the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) has been exempted from the
sales tax, we are losing almost Rs 150 crore in terms of sales tax per financial year. It
is time to levy the tax on CNG," a senior Sales Tax Department official said.
Source: The Pioneer, New Delhi, 4/6/2004
Bangalore: ‘Autocrats’ step on the gas over
government’s CNG order: Auto-rickshaw drivers in Bangalore city are up in arms
against the State Government Order (GO) setting a deadline for converting three-wheeler
engines to run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas. To check air pollution caused by over 70,000
auto-rickshaws in the city, the Government had recently issued an order directing that all
such vehicles be made LPG-compatible by December 2005. However, as per the order, the
process has to start by September and, depending on the make, some vehicles need to modify
within the stipulated time.
Source: The New Indian Express, Bangalore, 3/6/2004
Delhi: Safety clause for CNG vehicles: About 70,000 vehicles in
the Capital may not get CNG from the Indraprastha Gas Limited after May 31 if they
don’t test their cylinders for safety. IGL Managing Director A K Dey told that under
the Explosives Act, the safety of the cylinders has to be inspected after every five
years. The Act stipulates that cylinders without safety clearance will not be filled. As
vehicles in the Capital have been running on CNG for almost five years now, it was time
for a check, Dey said. IGL is acting on an April 18 public notice issued by the Transport
Department which stated that re-validation of cylinder safety was required for all
passenger vehicles.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 12/5/2004
Kolkata: Clean fuel switch prod for autos: Following in the
footsteps of Delhi and Mumbai - albeit in slow motion - the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee
government is finally planning to make it mandatory for three-wheelers to switch to LPG.
Following the notification of central rules and modification of the Calcutta High Court
judgment on compliance with Bharat Stage II norms, it is not mandatory for any
vehicle-owner to switch to green fuel, transport department officials said. Any vehicle
can ply in the city, as long as it meets the emission standards specified by the Centre.
Source: The Telegraph, Calcutta, 5/5/2004
Kolkata: Operation persuasion for LPG: The oil companies have decided to
organise awareness drives in Calcutta to prod car-owners into switching to liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) for the sake of both environment and economy. The transport department
plans to join hands with the oil firms.
Source: The Telegraph, Calcutta, 30/4/2004
^Top
TN village a hit with drivers
for cheap bio-diesel: Sriparangusanalllur village in Thoothukudi district in Tamil
Nadu has become a favourite stop for auto rickshaw drivers and private bus owners. They
are making a beeline to this village for its Rs 20 per litre bio-diesel produced from
‘pungan’ seeds. The pioneer of this cheap and eco-friendly fuel, self-help group
is TANWA ‘Pannai’. Eco-friendly fuel marketed by self-help group is sold at Rs
20 for a litre, and can make an auto rickshaw run for 72 km on just 3 litres.
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, 6/6/2004
Trains to run on vegetable, used frying oil: It will be a
turning point in the use of non-conventional fuels when such a big diesel guzzler as
Indian Railways runs its first train entirely on a blend of vegetable oil and ‘used
frying oil’, something that Railway officials say is only a year or so away. The
global increase in fossil fuel prices has in fact expedited their project. Southern
Railway is readying to run a locomotive on a 20 per cent blend of ‘bio-diesel’
on August 10, International Bio-diesel Day.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 27/5/2004
Mercedes completes trial run on biodiesel: ‘Tour of
India’ - the first phase of the cross-country drive by DaimlerChrysler India Ltd
(DCIL) with their Mercedes using the biodiesel generated from Jatropha plant, has
successfully completed its trial run of 5,900 km. The drive involved running of the
Mercedes Benz C class car on biodiesel over terrains, which includes tortuous Western
Ghats, across humid coastal areas of Southern India and further through the deserts of
Rajasthan, past the plains of Gujarat. Mr Hans Michael Huber, Managing Director and Chief
Executive Officer, DaimlerChrysler India Ltd, is a happy man as the test has given out
positive results for the company.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 20/5/2004
Rs 15 crore biodiesel project coming up in Andhra Pradesh: In
order to give fillip to its proposed biodiesel project, Southern Online Biotechnologies
Ltd has roped in scientists from leading research institutes like IIT, Delhi, Indian
Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, to act as
honorary advisors for the country’s first biodiesel project in Andhra.
‘‘The scientists will be the honorary advisors for the Rs 14.8-crore biodiesel
project to come up in Andhra Pradesh with the technology being sourced from Lurgi,
Germany,’’ Mr N Satish Kumar, director of the company said. However, the
research institutes are not directly involved with the project.
Source: The Financial Express, New Delhi, 10/5/2004
Bio-diesel project enters phase-II; talks on for tie-ups: After
an encouraging response to the first phase of the bio-diesel extraction project, the
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is looking to tie-up with a number
of players for the second phase. It is in talks with companies such as Tata Motors and
Indian Oil to take its project to the next stage. "We are talking to Tata Motors for
testing its vehicles on bio-diesel developed from the Jatropha plant. Besides, we are in
touch with Indian Oil for studying our new alternative to diesel," said CSIR Director
General, Dr R. A. Mashelkar, at a press conference. Two Mercedes Benz cars, which were
successfully test driven on bio-diesel for more than 5,000 km, were display in New Delhi.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 8/5/2004
Powering unconventional business: The first passenger omnibus
running on biodiesel is all set to hit the Chennai roads in June. The latest novelty comes
after the swanky biodiesel powered Merc. Only the omnibus uses a different fuel. The
biodiesel for it is produced from rice bran oil through a catalytic process. The
technology is developed by KC Velappan at the department of chemical engineering, Central
Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Chennai. The trial run is being sponsored by the
ministry of non-conventional energy sources, Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency and
Chennai Metro Transport Corporation.
Source: The Financial Express, New Delhi, 27/4/2004
‘Centre to plant Jathropha tree in 50,000 hectares’: The
centre has drawn up a blueprint to plant Jatropha tree in 50,000 hectares, director
general of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehra Dun, Dr RPS Katwal
said. He was speaking at the 38th convocation of the University of Agricultural Sciences
in Bangalore. Planting of trees would be done all over the country at a cost of Rs 1,430
crores, giving employment to 15 million people, he said.
Source: The New Indian Express, Bangalore, 8/4/2004
^Top
Stricter pollution control norms to be
enforced: Concerned over the growing impact of air pollution on the health of
residents, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is reviewing ambient air quality
standards in the country. This would mean stricter pollution control measures for
industrial areas. Delhi has 28 approved industrial areas. But according to a Delhi
government survey (1996), only 22% of the industries are located in the approved areas.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 15/6/2004
Delhi: Pollution checking centres face the stick: Not satisfied
with the maintenance, operation and calibration of instruments at various PCCs across
Delhi, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has sent a letter to the Delhi State
Transport Authority, asking them to take ‘necessary action’ at their end. The
CPCB inspected 37 PCCS, all authorised by the directorate of transport, in January and
found that proper norms were not being followed by them.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 14/6/2004
Indore: 335 auto-rickshaws fined for using kerosene as fuel: The
traffic police department has fined 335 loading and passenger auto-rickshaws that were
using kerosene as fuel during a drive launched against the polluting vehicles. A sum of Rs
53,400 has been collected from the owners of the polluting vehicles during last three
days.
Source: Free Press, Indore, 25/5/2004
Naval device to combat vehicular pollution: By manufacturing
equipment ranging from armaments to state-of-art technology products in various fields,
including medical treatment, the Defence establishments across the country have made their
presence in contributing to non-Defence related research and development. Recently, a team
of five research and civilian personnel of the Naval Dockyard, have designed and developed
a device for combating vehicular pollution.
Source: The New Indian Express, Hyderabad, 26/4/2004
Plan panel okays Rs 1,600-crore auto testing facilities: The
Planning Commission has cleared a project to set up two new automobile testing facilities
in the country at an estimated cost of over Rs 1,600 crore. As of now, the proposal is
with the Ministry of Finance, which is likely to clear it within the next few weeks,
sources said. The two centres would be the second such automobiles testing facilities in
Asia outside Japan. According to Government sources, the two centres, one in the North and
the other in the South, will be ready for use by the end of fiscal 2006-07.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 20/4/2004
| Transportation
and traffic |
|
Delhi: DTC may buy AC
buses for Metro feeder routes: Despite projecting itself as a common man-friendly
regime, the Delhi Government has still not been able to shed its opulent plans for more
pragmatic ones and has suggested to the Delhi Transport Corporation that it purchase over
100 air-conditioned buses - costing around Rs 27 lakhs each - to be operated as feeder
services for the upcoming state-of-the-art Delhi Metro railway system. The proposal finds
a mention in the Refining Reform Plan for Restructuring of DTC, in which certain revisions
were incorporated on February 14, 2004. The note which was prepared to invite comments of
some of the stakeholders to the proposals so that they could be incorporated in the Reform
Plan, if found acceptable, makes a mention of the intention to introduce air-conditioned
buses on feeder routes of the Metro.
Source: The Hindu, New Delhi, 5/6/2004
Diesel versions beat petrol cousins in sales race:
Diesel cars are steadily increasing their market share, accounting for 18-20 of the total
car sales in the year ended March 2004. In the A2 segment (compact cars — Zen,
Indica, Palio), they command a market share of 23 per cent. The figures are even better in
the A3 to A6 segments (including mid-size, luxury and premium cars) where 32 per cent of
the cars sold were diesel powered. This trend of growing sales of diesel cars is in tandem
with some of the world markets, with diesel car sales occupying 60 per cent of the market
in Belgium, 33 per cent in the UK, 40 per cent in Europe as a whole, though in the US
market, diesel cars are still just at 10 per cent of the total market.
Source: The Financial Express, New Delhi, 27/4/2004
^Top
| National
and local initiatives |
|
Delhi: Two more ISBTs in city to
keep diesel fumes at bay: Buses from neighbouring states spewing diesel fumes
won’t be able to pollute Capital’s atmosphere for much longer. Ultra-modern
Inter State Bus Terminals will soon come up in different peripheral areas of the city to
save city’s residents from toxic fumes. To ease the load of existing inter-state bus
terminuses the Delhi government will soon commission the construction of two more
ISBT’s -one in Dwarka sub-city, the other at Narela.
Source: The Statesman, New Delhi, 8/6/2004
Pollution Control Plan for Ahmedabad launched: World Environment
Day saw the formal launch of the ‘Air Pollution Control Action Plan’ for
Ahmedabad in Gujarat. A discussion by concerned authorities regarding it’s
implementation followed the launch. Jointly prepared by the Gujarat Pollution Control
Board (GPCB) and the State Environment Department at the directive of the Supreme Court,
the overall strategy of the action plan has been approved by the Bhurelal Committee, which
has demanded speedy implementation.
Source: The Times of India, Ahmedabad, 6/6/2004
Bangalore: Rediscover the joy of cycling on ‘Car Free
Day’: Air, the voluntary movement that promotes cycling, is organising ‘Car
Free Day’ in Bangalore for the second consecutive year on Sunday, May 23. The event
is expected to attract more than 2,000 cycling enthusiasts in Bangalore, including CEOs
and well-known personalities. Last year, the movement received an overwhelming response to
the event. It will be held on a bigger scale this year as TI Cycles has come forward to
support this event. Started by a group of cycling enthusiasts, ‘air’ celebrates
its second anniversary this month with over 500 members. The objective of ‘air’
is to sensitise Bangaloreans to a range of issues from lane discipline to the City’s
environment and motivate them to take to cycling, as a free, fast and fun form of
transport. This will help bring down pollution levels in the City and make Bangaloreans
healthier.
Source: Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 10/5/2004
Kolkata: Bharat II deadline for government vehicles: The West
Bengal government has ordered its departments to ensure that all vehicles run by them
start following Bharat Stage II norms from this month, failing which vehicles will be
grounded. Mr H Mohan, joint secretary to the state government, wrote to the heads of the
departments in March asking them to take immediate steps to convert the existing engines,
either by introducing LPG kits or by installing Bharat stage II engines.
Source: The Statesman, Kolkata, 5/5/2004
Ahmedabad: Citizens join hands to fight air pollution: Alarmed
by the rising pollution levels in Ahmedabad city, some government representatives and city
denizens have come together to make a collaborative effort to solve the problem. The
initiative undertaken by them called AIR – Ahmedabad Initiative for Reduction (in
pollution) – has representation from all stakeholders of the society. A society of
about 18 members of AIR has been formed with Ahmedabad collector Anita Karwal as the
chairperson, which will primarily work towards bringing awareness regarding the extent of
pollution in the city in people to make them a party to bringing about a change.
Source: The Times of India, Ahmedabad, 2/5/2004
New, tighter pollution norms for cars, 2- wheelers: Breathe
easy. That’s what new, tighter emission norms for vehicles will do. For the first
time since the inception of the Pollution Under Control (PUC) scheme in 1992, existing
norms are being tightened. The ministry of road transport and highways notification will
come into force from October 1, 2004 all over the country. Emission norms are being
adopted according to the kind of vehicle technology used.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 2/5/2004
Delhi: Government moves to turn light trucks green: After
driving out diesel buses from Delhi, the government is now planning to do so with light
trucks plying within city limits. The Environment Pollution (prevention and control)
Authority plans to restrict diesel-powered light trucks from plying within the capital
from March 31, 2005. It recently convened a meeting with the Society of Indian Automobile
Manufacturers (SIAM) expressing views and seeking clarifications from light truck
manufacturers on the time needed to replace the existing diesel-run light commercial
vehicles with CNG-powered ones.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 29/4/2004
CPCB wakes up to lack of good work: More than a decade after the
list for network of air quality monitoring stations across the country was approved, the
Central Pollution Control Board appears to have finally woken up to the fact that the
National Air Quality Monitoring Programme is functioning much below its optimum capacity.
While the countrywide approved list of air quality monitoring stations has 295 stations on
paper, at present only around 200 stations are operational on the ground.
Source: The Hindu, New Delhi, 20/4/2004
^Top |
HC deadline for congestion - free Capital: With the 2010 Commonwealth
Games on its mind, the Delhi High Court has set a four-month deadline for the city
government, MCD, NDMC, DDA and Northern Railway to formulate guidelines to make the
capital free from congestion and pollution. The order came from a Division Bench of Mr
Justice Vijender Jain and Mr Justice R.S. Sodhi on a PIL by Pushkar Sood regarding the
poor condition of roads in the capital.
Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 4/6/2004
Manali levies entry fee on outside vehicles: Manali,
a popular tourist destination in Himachal Pradesh, has become the first town of the state
to levy an entry fee on vehicles belonging to other states. The move is likely to generate
annual revenue of around Rs 1 crore. The Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation has
issued a notification dated May 29 wherein buses will be charged an entry fee of Rs 500,
jeeps like Tata Sumo, Safari, Scorpio and Qualis Rs 300, cars and vans Rs 200 and
two-wheelers Rs 100. Sources in the department said the notification had been issued as
per the directions of the High Court with a view to regulating traffic and avoiding
congestion, which becomes the order of the day during peak tourist season in summer.
Public interest litigation had been filed in the High Court in this regard.
Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 2/6/2004
Frame policy on heavy vehicles: Delhi
High Court: The Delhi High Court directed the Delhi government to frame a
comprehensive policy to ensure that no heavy vehicle which has more than four tyres enters
Delhi. Justice Vijendra Jain and justice R S Sodhi were holding the hearing of a public
interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Pushkar Sood, seeking better traffic
management on Delhi roads.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 29/5/2004
^Top
| National
& Local Policy Initiatives |
|
Delhi: Sensors to snoop on polluting vehicles: Getting a speeding challan at home
is passé, get ready for a polluting ticket to be delivered at your doorstep. The
transport department is conducting a pilot study for checking vehicle emissions using
remote sensing devices. "If all works well motorists can be prosecuted for driving
polluting vehicles," transport commissioner Rajiv Talwar said. The first practical
use of the system started at Panchsheel Marg. On Thursday, it was used on Ridge road near
Buddha Jayanti Park and emission data of over 15,000 vehicles was collected. "The
system measures carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons and smoke
emissions of a moving vehicle in 0.7 seconds," Talwar said.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 16/4/2004
Delhi: RTVs only in outer Delhi, trans-Yamuna: In a move to reduce
congestion and accidents on Delhi's roads, rural transport vehicles (RTVs) will not be
allowed to ply in the heart of the city. The transport department has decided to limit
their services to outer Delhi and trans-Yamuna. According to transport officials, the
underlying principle is that buses should not run parallel to the Metro Rail and on routes
parallel to the bigger buses.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 10/4/2004
TERI moots sops for oil companies to produce cleaner fuels: TERI has
suggested that oil companies should be provided with fiscal incentives to upgrade their
refineries to produce cleaner fuels. In its roadmap to promote alternative
environment-friendly fuels for public transport in major cities, TERI said that the four
refineries run by Indian Oil Corporation and Reliance could be upgraded to produce 20
million tonnes of ultra-low sulphur diesel(ULSD) whereas the projected demand was just
three million ULSD by 2010.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 11/4/2004
'Bucket brigade' comes to check Chennai air: Chennaites were introduced
to the 'bucket brigade,' a movement of people to sample the air they breathe. Conceived by
community activists in the United States, the brigade is all about a bucket with a
detachable plastic bag inside. Air is drawn into the plastic bag, changing the pressure
inside the bucket and sent to laboratory for testing.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai, 11/3/2004
A 'bad breathes easy as traffic cops crackdown on polluting 'chhagdas':
Although the recent crackdown on six-seater auto-rickshaws, popularly known as 'chhagdas',
has affected those commuting to-and-from the industrial areas of Vatva and Odhav, the rest
of Ahmedabad is literally "breathing easy". The Ahmedabad Traffic Police have
also been cracking down on autorickshaws which use a concoction of solvent and kerosene,
thereby causing pollution. During the past four days more than 373 autorickshaws have been
seized.
Source: The Times of India, Ahmedabad, 22/3/2004
Laws on auto pollution sought: In a bid to contain the automobile
pollution menace in Kolkota city, the industry and academic circle urged the West Bengal
Government to frame laws to phase out polluting vehicles from city roads. "Automobile
pollution contributes to about 50% of total environmental pollution. It is causing havoc
on public health and the government needs to play a pro-active role to contain it,"
Mr Sanjay Budhia, Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industries (eastern region), said.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 11/3/2004
Licensing system is back for rickshaws: The Municipal Corporation of
Delhi "reintroduced" the licensing system for cycle-rickshaws, thus reversing
its existing "licensefree" policy that was introduced in 2001 on the direction
of the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Source: The Hindu, New Delhi, 9/3/2004
Crackdown on cars with illegal gas kits: Delhi transport department will
soon launch a drive against vehicles running on illegal LPG conversion kits. The
enforcement wing of the department will soon start checking vehicles across the city,
sources said. The first advice to vehicle owners is to switch over to approved LPG kit or
the CNG mode. If they don't convert within a stipulated time-frame (to be 2-3 months), the
vehicle will be impounded for being hazardous. "We have asked petrol pumps to inform
us about vehicles running on illegal LPG kits as they are unsafe," transport
commissioner Rajiv Talwar. Nine types of LPG kits for four wheelers have been approved by
the department and can be installed at a price ranging between Rs 20,000-25,000.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 9/3/2004
May deadline for non-Delhi vehicles: The Delhi transport department
decided to defer its drive against vehicles not registered in the Capital. It will now
start from May 1 and not mid-March. Transport commissioner Rajiv Talwar told that a
month's time has been given to vehicle owners to get their vehicles registered in Delhi.
"We will open special counters in the nine zonal offices to facilitate registration
of vehicles. An awareness campaign will also be run," he said. The department has
decided to relax norms for original vehicle owners. They will not have to get a
"no-objection certificate" from the state where they are registered. "We
will take the original registration book while issuing the new one. It will be sent to the
respective state for cancellation," an official said. However, owners of second-hand
vehicles will have to bring an NOC from the state of registration.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 4/3/2004
Centre tightens emission control norms: The union ministry of road
transport has notified stringent emission norms for Pollution Under Control Certificates
(PUCCs) to be effective from October 2004. For the first time, measurement of the noise
pollution level for vehicles has also been made mandatory. The noise level should confirm
to Schedule VI of the Environment Protection Rules, 1986. The emission standards for
vehicles running on petrol, CNG and liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be uniform. The
impact will be maximum on petrol-run vehicles, for which emission standards have been
improved by about four times. For Bharat Stage-II compliant cars, the emission standard
for carbon monoxide has been lowered from 2.2 to 0.5 per cent. For non Bharat stage-II
vehicles, it has been lowered from 5 to 3 per cent.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 21/2/2004
^Top
HC deadline for congestion - free
Capital: With the 2010 Commonwealth Games on its mind, the Delhi High Court has set a
four-month deadline for the city government, MCD, NDMC, DDA and Northern Railway to
formulate guidelines to make the capital free from congestion and pollution. The order
came from a Division Bench of Mr Justice Vijender Jain and Mr Justice R.S. Sodhi on a PIL
by Pushkar Sood regarding the poor condition of roads in the capital.
Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 4/6/2004
Manali levies entry fee on outside vehicles: Manali, a popular
tourist destination in Himachal Pradesh, has become the first town of the state to levy an
entry fee on vehicles belonging to other states. The move is likely to generate annual
revenue of around Rs 1 crore. The Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation has issued a
notification dated May 29 wherein buses will be charged an entry fee of Rs 500, jeeps like
Tata Sumo, Safari, Scorpio and Qualis Rs 300, cars and vans Rs 200 and two-wheelers Rs
100. Sources in the department said the notification had been issued as per the directions
of the High Court with a view to regulating traffic and avoiding congestion, which becomes
the order of the day during peak tourist season in summer. Public interest litigation had
been filed in the High Court in this regard.
Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 2/6/2004
Frame policy on heavy vehicles: Delhi High Court: The
Delhi High Court directed the Delhi government to frame a comprehensive policy to ensure
that no heavy vehicle which has more than four tyres enters Delhi. Justice Vijendra Jain
and justice R S Sodhi were holding the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed
by advocate Pushkar Sood, seeking better traffic management on Delhi roads.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 29/5/2004
^Top
NGO to keep tabs on fuel adulteration:
CONCERT (Centre for Consumer Education, Research, Teaching, Training and Testing) had
a shocker for Chennaiites some time ago by revealing that there was 100 percent
adulteration of petrol and diesel sold in Chennai. Now, the NGO has opened a Fuel Testing
Facility at Palavakkam on Wednesday to set international standards in identifying fuel
adulteration. The facility has been set up by Concert, a non-governmental organisation,
working for consumer rights, in partnership with the California Air Resources Board, the
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and Anna
Univeristy. It will receive a grant of $150,000 from the United States Asian Environmental
Programme and a matching grant from the Indian and US partner for the first two years of
collaboration.
Source: The New Indian Express, Chennai, 29/4/2004 and The Hindu, Chennai,
30/4/2004
^Top
Restriction on heavy vehicles plying urged: Hyderabad
city (Pakistan) council demanded that a ban should be imposed on entry of heavy vehicles
in the city limits during morning hours. Qamaruddin Sheikh tabled an out of agenda
resolution, which was unanimously adopted by the council. He said that heavy vehicles
caused traffic hazards and restricted movement of the people. He suggested that trucks
should be allowed to enter in the city limits between 9pm and 6am.
Source: Dawn (Internet), Pakistan, 6/5/2004
Plan for CNG buses in capital dropped: Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT)
administration has dropped the idea of plying CNG air-conditioned buses in twin cities and
declared the plan ‘not feasible’. Talking to the Agency the ICT spokesman said,
"the district administration, previously, chalked out a plan to ply CNG bus service
on different routes of the Capital but project is not feasible and cannot be executed now
due to specific management complications".
Source: Dawn (Internet), Pakistan, 27/4/2004
CNG vehicles throughout country planned: The Bangladesh government has decided
to introduce CNG transports throughout the country with a view to protecting the
environment and saving the cost on fuel. Communication Minister said this while
inaugurating a CNG refueling station, petrol pump and a CNG conversion factory at Demra.
Source: The Bangladesh Observer, Dhaka, 1/4/2004
^Top |