Says it misleads policy action on emissions standards and technology roadmap for CNG and diesel buses in India
New Delhi, August 10, 2015: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) condemns the recent attempt to misrepresent the findings of the new study that has been jointly carried out by the CSIR, IIP-Dehradun and University of Alberta. The statements from CSIR have claimed, without presenting the full study and the facts in the public domain, that CNG buses emit more ultrafine particles than diesel buses and are a health hazard. When CSE obtained the draft findings from CSIR it was stunned to see a very different message from the study. Their own findings have shown that the conventional CNG buses in India have already achieved emissions levels for all pollutants including ultrafine particle number very close or better than Euro VI emissions standards that are yet to be implemented. Diesel buses are far behind. The ultrafine emissions from Indian CNG buses are higher only from the Canadian diesel bus with advanced particulate traps meeting one of the global best standards.
This motivated campaign against CNG buses in India, and defiance of what science is saying, will harm not only the CNG bus programme that has given enormous public health benefits but will also jeopardise the policy decision to leapfrog emissions standards roadmap to Euro VI by 2020 to cut dangerous diesel emissions. The government of India is dragging its feet in the face of strong opposition from the diesel industry. Diesel technology and fuels need the most drastic transformation in Indian transport sector today to protect public health.
CSIR has shared the draft findings with CSE. The highlights of the review of the findings are as follows:
This study, done jointly by CSIR-IIP-University of Alberta, has carried out real world emissions tests on 2 Indian CNG buses (model year is not mentioned) and two diesel buses one of Canadian make meeting current US Tier II standards fitted with advanced particulate trap; and one Indian diesel bus without diesel particulate trap. It may be noted that US Tier II norms are tighter than the Euro VI norms. The measurements were carried out while accelerating and cruising the vehicles.
The study has only reconfirmed how CNG bus fleet is giving the overall environmental benefits compared to diesel buses even today.
Do not detract policy makers from the health risk from current quality of diesel in India:
CSIR has omitted to mention the serious health risk associated with diesel emissions. It is now well known that the WHO has concluded that diesel exhaust is a human carcinogen and is in the same class as tobacco for its strong link with lung cancer. It is also widely known that diesel particulate mass and the number of nano particles are very high and contribute to the most hazardous pollutant PM2.5. This is part of PM2.5 which currently is the fifth largest killer in India. Due to engineering challenges our norms allow diesel to emit three times more NOx and seven times more particulate matter than petrol. The norms for petrol and CNG are same as they have similar engine types. Dieselisation contributes to both PM2.5 and ozone in our cities. Current evidence indicates CNG has much lower PM and toxins. It is evident from the assessment of global agencies including the USEPA, California Air Resources Board and European regulatory agency that the toxicological risk associated with CNG pales in comparison with the total weight of evidence for the association between exposure to particulate matter and adverse health.
Do not confuse. Give clear roadmap
Government of India should at the same time strengthen the roadmap for CNG bus programme in cities that have access to CNG to maximize environmental and public health benefits.
For more on this, please contact Souparno Banerjee at 9910864339 / souparno@cseindia.org [2]
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/cse-condemns-misrepresentation-findings-recent-csir-study-diesel-and-cng-buses-0
[2] mailto:souparno@cseindia.org
[3] http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/cng-programme-india-future-challenges
[4] http://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/delhi-s-clean-air-challenge-50153
[5] http://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/-devil-in-the-diesel---19657
[6] http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/cng-bus-emissions-roadmap-euro-iii-euro-vi
[7] http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/epca-report-report-priority-measures-reduce-air-pollution-and-protect-public
[8] http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/cse-critique-cpcbs-study-exhaust-gases-different-fuel-based-vehicles-carbonyls
[9] http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/study-exhaust-gases-different-fuel-based-vehicles-carbonyls-and-methane-emissions
[10] http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/253878/the-smokescreen-of-lies-myths-and-facts-about-cng/
[11] http://www.downtoearth.org.in/gallery/eight-reasons-why-delhi-is-a-commuter-s-nightmare-50693
[12] http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/1886/thesaurus/cng-buses/
[13] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/cng-buses
[14] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/diesel-buses
[15] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/india
[16] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/air-pollution
[17] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/euro-vi
[18] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/centre-science-and-environment-cse
[19] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/health-effects