LARGESCALE use of CNG as an automotive fuel can give breathing space to people in the heavily-polluted metropolitan cities of India.

Motor vehicles are said to be responsible for 60 per cent of the total pollution load in Bombay, some 12,000 tonnes of pollutants daily, including 40 tonnes of lead.

By using CNG, carbon monoxide emissions can be reduced between 40 and 99 per cent as compared to petrol engines, lead emissions reduced or eliminated, and reactive hydrocarbon emissions reduced upto 85 per cent. In case of dual fuel diesel engines, particulates and smoke can be reduced to' the extent natural gas substitutes for diesel, and nitrogen oxides emissions reduced upto 65 per cent.

Although some of the vehicular pollutants like carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons can be reduced through expensive devices, adoption of natural gas engines can be a cheaper option for India. Even lead-free petrol has not yet been adopted because of economic reasons.