The Hindu : New Delhi News : Auto industry seeks more time on pollution control tests

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 11, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Auto industry seeks more time on pollution control tests

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 10. Even though the Environment Pollution (Protection and Control) Authority is pressing for a deadline of May 15 to introduce the Lambda tests as a regulatory norm for in-use petrol vehicles -- to keep a check on pollution -- the automobile industry is insisting that more "studies'' are needed before the required steps can be taken.

Deliberated during a recent meeting with EPCA, the automobile industry is looking for more time, despite the fact that the Lambda test has been introduced in most developed countries for several years now. In India as well, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a notification, allowing the introduction of the Lambda measure, about a year ago.

As per international norms and practises, for a well-tuned or maintained vehicle, the Lambda value should be between 0.97 and 1.03. If the Lambda value is being met, the vehicle is operating in a good condition. This will ensure that the catalytic converter has maximum efficiency and the three major pollutants -- carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and nitrogen dioxide -- would be kept under check. It is, however, only for petrol vehicles fitted with three-way catalytic converter with a close loop system.

"Our vehicles today are meeting global standards. They are all Euro II vehicles. So there is no reason why the Lambda test should not be enforced. Most of the manufacturers are claiming that they have never regulated Lambda while some of them are claiming that their vehicles would be naturally meeting the standards,'' said environmentalist, Sunita Narain.

She also informed that according to a study done by the Automobile Research Association of India last year, eight out of 23 new gasoline vehicles did not pass the Lambda test or were unable to maintain the Lambda window.

"Not many of the new cars that the automobile industry in India is churning out have managed to pass the lambda test. The industry is setting itself against the introduction of the Lambda test,'' she accused.

According to the Automotive Research Association of India, there is a need for more tests that would take at least another 3-4 months. "We need to find out what is the situation, how the situation can be handled. Merely by saying that the Lambda has failed will lead to a public outcry. Also, the instrumentation at the PUC needs to be augmented for the same,'' said director, ARAI, Balraj Bhanot.

Agreeing with the need to study the situation in its entirety, K.K. Gandhi of Society for India Automobile Association said, "The nitrogen dioxide problem will not improve only by this test. What about all those brought in earlier and also what about the three-wheelers and goods vehicles?''

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