Emission norms for bikes to get tougher

NEW DELHI: Ending speculation, the government has issued draft notification for stricter emission norms (BSVI) for all categories of vehicles, including two-wheelers and three-wheelers, which will come to effect from April 1, 2020. The road transport ministry has gone ahead with stricter norms for two-wheelers, which will be on a par with emission standards set in Europe.

At present, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission limit for a BS-IV petrol car is 0.08 gram/km, while for a two-wheeler it is 0.39 gram/km. BS-IV norms for two-wheelers have been notified and will become effective from April 2016 for new models and April 2017 for the existing models.

But once the BS-VI emission norms are enforced, the NOx emission will be limited to 0.06 gram/ km and it will be equivalent to Euro norms. Long-term NOx exposure may decrease lung function and increase the risk of respiratory symptoms. According to studies, most of the NOx pollution in cities come from motor vehicle exhaust. The decision gains importance considering the findings of certain studies pointing at more pollution being caused by two-wheelers in cities, including Delhi.

On January 25, TOI had first reported how the emission norms for two-wheelers was being tightened since at least 80% of all types of vehicles sold annually in India fall under this category, which emit nearly four to five times more oxides of nitrogen (NOx) than petrol cars.Of the 1.97 crore vehicles sold in India in 2014-15, two-wheelers accounted for 1.6 crore. The trend was almost similar between 2013 and 2014. All these years, the government has been enforcing lenient emission norms for the twowheeler manufacturing industry.