Civil Society Perspective on Air Quality Governance

1
Civil Society Perspective on Air Quality
Governance

• Debi Goenka
• Bombay Environmental Action Group

2
Air Quality Governance ?

• There are few places in India that are not facing
  pollution problems
• There are no shortage of laws
• But these laws are seldom implemented

3
Good Governance is driven by Court Action

• In Mumbai, a Writ Petition was filed in 1999
  regarding vehicular air pollution
• High Court sets up a Committee under the
  Chairmanship of the Transport Commissioner
• Terms of Reference very wide

4
TOR of the Lal Committee

• The Terms of Reference of the Committee shall be
  to examine, consider and recommend measures to
  reduce vehicular pollution in Greater Mumbai,
  including but not limited to the following issues
  -
• (a) Improvement in quality of fuel with
  particular reference to reduction of Sulphur
  Content of diesel and benzene content of petrol
  of acceptable limits.

5
TOR of the Lal Committee

• (b) Use of alternative fuel such as
  CNG/reformulated gasoline etc. Administrative
  Regulatory measures that would be required for
  setting up additional pumps for dispensing CNG.
• ( c) Desirability feasibility of converting the
  existing buses/ taxis to CNG.

6
TOR of the Lal Committee

• (d) Assessment of whether the existing emission
  norms require to be revised for Mumbai City if
  so what levels they should be fixed.
• (e) Applicability of Euro I Euro II norms to
  commercial (non private vehicles).

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TOR of the Lal Committee

• (f) Desirability Feasibility of Phasing out of
  vehicles (private cars, trucks, buses, taxis,
  auto-rickshaws two wheelers) over a certain age
  limit
• (g) Measure for improvement of emission level of
  in use vehicles correspondingly
• (h) Financial incentives that can be made
  available for replacement of old taxis
  autorickshaws with new vehicles running on clean
  fuel

8
TOR of the Lal Committee

• (i) Action required to be taken in respect of two
  wheelers three wheelers utilising two stroke
  engines
• (j) Measures to prevent fuel adulteration
• (k) Effect of the use of Unleaded petrol without
  catalytic converters

9
TOR of the Lal Committee

• (l) incentives for conversion to cleaner
  technologies including in particular reduction of
  import duties and other levies on CNG Kits, ZEVs
  and catalytic converters
• (m) Desirability feasibility of ensuring
  premixed oil (petrol 2T) and banning supply of
  loose 2T oil

10
TOR of the Lal Committee

• (n) Proper Management Regulation of Traffic
  with a view to reducing vehicular pollution
• (o) Effective methods of monitoring and improving
  prescribed emission norms

11
Lal Committee Report

• The Lal Committee made 101 recommendations
• The Recommendations were accepted by the State
  Government
• The High Court also comments that prima facie it
  accepts the recommendations

12
Orders of the Bombay High Court

• Mandating adherence to Euro I and II norms for
  new private vehicles with effect from 1st January
  2000 and 1st January 2001 respectively (17th
  September 1999).
• Directing deployment of Flying Squads to
  apprehend polluting vehicles on the street and
  impose a fine of Rs 1,000 on them. More
  stringent punishments including suspension and
  cancellation of registration were prescribed for
  second and third offences. The squads are to be
  accompanied by volunteers to check that they were
  functioning effectively (15th December 1999 and
  20th August 2002)

13
Orders of the Bombay High Court

• Directing that action be taken against taxis
  which had illegally converted from four cylinder
  to three cylinder engines. (15th December 1999)
• Directing publication of readings of ambient air
  quality by the authorities at least once a month
  (15th December 1999)
• Constituting an Expert Committee headed by the
  Transport Commissioner to recommend measures to
  reduce pollution on various aspects of the issue.
  (15th December 1999).

14
Orders of the Bombay High Court

• Directing augmentation of CNG and LPG supply
  outlets. This has resulted in an increase from
  12 outlets in 2000 to over 100 at present. (20th
  October 2000, 22nd December 2000, 17th October
  2001 and 19th September 2002).
• Directing phasing out of 15 year old and 8 year
  old taxis unless they were converted to run on
  CNG/LPG by 1st March 2002 and 1st January 2003
  respectively. The deadlines were extended by
  short periods, but were broadly adhered to. The
  result of the orders has been that the entire
  taxi fleet of the city (which was largely running
  on diesel and was extremely polluting) has now
  been converted to run on CNG/LPG. (17th October
  2001)

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Orders of the Bombay High Court

• Directing phasing out of 10 year old and 8 year
  old three wheelers unless they were converted to
  run on CNG/LPG by 1st March 2002 and 1st January
  2003 respectively. The deadlines were extended
  by short periods, but were broadly adhered to.
  (17th October 2001). The result of the orders
  has been that over 60,000 of the one lakh
  three-wheelers plying in the city run on CNG/LPG.
• Directing the phasing out of 15 year old and 8
  year old commercial vehicles (trucks, vans,
  buses, etc) unless they were converted to run on
  CNG/LPG by 1st January 2003 and 1st January 2004
  respectively (17th October 2001). These
  deadlines were extended to 31st July 2003 and
  31st January 2004 respectively which were
  maintained. (17th October 2001).

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Orders of the Bombay High Court

• Upgradation of the BEST bus fleet by an extensive
  programme of phasing out 15 year old buses,
  purchase of CNG buses, and retrofitment with Euro
  II engines over the next five years. (19th
  December 2003) Upgradation of the BEST bus fleet
  by an extensive programme of phasing out 15 year
  old buses, purchase of CNG buses, and
  retrofitment with Euro II engines over the next
  five years. (19th December 2003)

17
Implementation

• State Government seems unwilling to implement
  most orders of the High Court
• Problems with operation of the Flying Squads
• Measures such as Traffic Restraint Scheme still
  to be decided by the High Court

18
Traffic Restraint Scheme

• The proposal applies to the Island City of Mumbai
• It is a pilot project
• It covers all types of private vehicles
• Public transport, taxis, autos, emergency
  vehicles exempted
• It will be applicable from 0900 1600 on
  weekdays

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Traffic Restraint Scheme

• 20 of private vehicles will not be allowed to
  ply between 0900 hours to 1600 hours within the
  island city of Mumbai, depending on the last
  digit of the number plate
• Offenders will be fined Rs.1,000 (22) for each
  violation

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Bombay City Map
21
Traffic Restraint Scheme Who will benefit?

• BEST buses will run faster
• Taxis will get more business
• All other vehicles will also move faster
• Parking will be easier
• Congestion will be reduced
• The air in Mumbai will be cleaner
• All citizens will benefit

22
Traffic Restraint Scheme

• Who is opposing the Scheme?
• The Western India Automobile Association
• The Traffic Police
• The Maharashtra Government

23
What else needs to be done?

• Polluter pays principle must be applied
• Parking norms for Mumbai must be tightened
• New vehicle registrations must be linked to
  availability of off-road parking
• Public parking must be made more expensive (at
  real estate costs levels)

24
Public Transport

• 88 of the daily passenger trips in Mumbai are
  made using public transport
• Yet this gets lowest priority
• BEST bus passengers are taxed
• BEST buses are neither subsidized nor given
  tax/excise reductions

25
Private Transport

• Private Transport is being encouraged
• Flyover investments in last five years Rs.3000
  crores ( 140 million)
• West Island Freeway Cost Rs.3000 crores (
  140 million)
• Bombay Mainland Link Bridge (Cost Rs.7000 crores
  ( 330 million)

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Other threats

• Public transport is being made unaffordable by
  pushing projects such as Underground Metro
• Promising alternatives such as Skybus are being
  sabotaged
• Improvements in public transport (such as A.C.
  buses, A.C. coaches in suburban trains are being
  sabotaged)

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Other threats

• Dedicated Buslanes are being thwarted
• Planned Decongestion of Mumbai is not taking
  place
• Purchase of private vehicles is becoming cheaper
  and easier
• CNG being opposed by powerful adulteration
  lobbies

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Action Required

• We need to prioritize
• We need to set up a proper air monitoring network
• We need proper I M
• We need to sensitize commuters
• We need more action!

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• I would like to thank the following persons for
  their help and assistance over the years
• Mr Shiraz Rustomjee
• M/s Hariani Co.
• Dr Axel Friedrich
• The SUSTRAN Network Dr Paul Barter

30
Thank You!

• Debi Goenka
• Bombay Environmental Action Group
• debi_at_beag.net