CSE Condemns Misrepresentation Of Findings Of Recent CSIR Study On Diesel And CNG Buses

Crisis

CSE has obtained the actual findings that are yet to be released and reviewed it to show how the same findings give an entirely a different message

The results clearly show that actual emissions levels of nano or ultrafine particles and all other pollutants tested from CNG buses are already close to Euro VI emissions standards and can easily leapfrog to Euro VI quickly.

Indian diesel buses have not yet adopted clean diesel technology and have far worse emissions than CNG buses  Instead of alerting the government on the dangerous level of toxic  emissions from current Indian diesel buses and demanding leapfrog to Euro VI emissions standards, misleading statements from CSIR have cast doubts on CNG buses.

This study has actually reaffirmed the environmental and public health benefits of the CNG bus programme in India. It has also proven why Government of India must not delay emissions standards roadmap any further to reduce the dangerous diesel emissions and leapfrog to Euro VI standards. CNG buses will only get better under the new regime.

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.