Centre to explore ways to use alternate fuel

The Dollar Business Bureau The government will formulate a new policy to check carbon emission from increasing number of vehicles and explore ways to use alternate fuel. An expert committee, which was formed to draft Auto Fuel Vision and Policy 2025, has suggested measures to improve auto fuel quality, cut emission from vehicles and availability of fuels, Minister of State, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan told Lok Sabha on Monday. The committee under the chairmanship of Soumitra Choudhuri, member of Planning Commission, has also recommended suitable mix of auto fuels including gas and its specifications. The panel has made various recommendations including a roadmap for phased introduction of BS-IV and BS-V auto fuels in the entire country. As per the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 (CMVRs), for four-wheeled vehicles, Bharat Stage-IV(BS-IV) emission norms has been implemented in the National Capital Region and in cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kanpur, Pune, Surat, Agra, Sholapur and Lucknow. The government has also enforced BS-IV norms in smaller cities and it is applicable on four-wheelers manufactured on or after October, 2014 except transport vehicles plying on inter-state permits or national permit or tourist permits. In other parts of the country, Bharat Stage-III emission norms are applicable. Following recommendations of the Auto Fuel Vision and Policy, 2025 report, the government is also planning to make BS-IV fuels available across the country by April, 2017 in a phased manner.    

This article was published on April 28, 2015 – 9:11 am IST