The Commission for Air Quality Management in national capital region and adjoining areas (CAQM) has fixed deadlines for NCR states to ensure that buses shift to cleaner fuels to reduce vehicular pollution. From November 1 this year, all buses originating from NCR districts in the respective states and plying to Delhi should be EV or CNG mode or diesel VI vehicle.
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The CAQM’s July 19 order says that governments of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh must target to achieve that all buses originating or terminating in NCR to run only on CNG or EV mode by June 30, 2026. The CAQM also directed them to plan for substantial number of buses originating or terminating in NCR in EV mode by June 30, 2028.
According to source apportionment study carried out by The Energy and Resources Institute and Automotive Research Association of India in 2018, the contribution of transport to PM2.5 in Delhi’s air is 39% and NCR’s air is 13%, and 19% to Delhi’s and 7% to NCR’s PM10, respectively.
“Transport sector’s high contribution to the overall air pollution load in the entire NCR… needs no emphasis. Efficient and cleaner inter-city and intra-city public transport within NCR would help to abate air pollution from this sector,” said the CAQM in its order.
For reducing vehicular pollution, the CAQM had conducted meeting with the officials of Delhi and NCR states for developing detailed action plan for shifting to cleaner bus services. Following this, governments of Haryana, Rajasthan and UP have formulated their respective action plans to replace or relocate BS-III and BS-IV diesel operated buses in a phased manner.
“Haryana plans to procure 1313 new BS-VI diesel buses during 2023-24 for replacement of old buses identified for condemnation and as replacement of older BS-III/IV buses, which are planned to be relocated to the non-NCR bus depots. Rajasthan informed about the RSRTC’s plan to procure 590 new BS-VI buses during the year besides outsourcing the services of 440 BS-VI category buses to transform the entire bus fleet running in the NCR to cleaner mobility options,” said the CAQM order.
It added that UP government plans to induct 955 new BS-VI diesel buses in next 3-4 years to replace BS-III/IV diesel buses, prioritising those operating in NCR. Delhi has also informed that procurement of CNG buses and EVs is underway as per its EV Policy, said the order.
Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said, “While CNG programme is already underway, it is important to give an enforceable target for rapid electrification of the bus fleet to make urban commuting near zero emission in the region. This needs to be further supported by strategies to increase bus ridership to maximise air quality gains.”
