Skip to main content

Delhi’s plan to cut pollution

The authorities in Indian capital Delhi are keen to cut pollution in the city. Delhi currently ranks as one of the worst in the world for air pollution, with vehicles, power generation and industry as three of the prime causes of the problem. The next step being made will be to restrict drivers from using their vehicles to alternate days, depending on whether the licence plate has an odd or even number. This approach has been used already in a number of cities such as Lagos and Beijing to cut congestion and
December 9, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
The authorities in Indian capital Delhi are keen to cut pollution in the city. Delhi currently ranks as one of the worst in the world for air pollution, with vehicles, power generation and industry as three of the prime causes of the problem. The next step being made will be to restrict drivers from using their vehicles to alternate days, depending on whether the licence plate has an odd or even number. This approach has been used already in a number of cities such as Lagos and Beijing to cut congestion and pollution levels.

The scheme in Delhi will have its detractors but is seen as essential to help reduce the city’s chronic pollution problem. The city’s coal-fired power station is also to be shut down in a bid to further address the issue. In addition to exhaust emissions and industry, the smoke from fires provides another key source of the air pollution. The city is now ranked as having the worst air quality of any in the world, having surpassed Beijing for this dubious honour. Mumbai and Hyderabad also suffer severe pollution but no measures have so far been announced for these cities.

In the future, vehicles being operated in Delhi will have to meet the Euro VI emissions legislation and this measure will be implemented from 2017. In past years diesel vehicles were required to run on gas in a bid to cut pollution. But even this measure has had an insufficient effect on improving air quality in recent times.

Related Content

  • Asphalt advances and industry innovations in paving
    May 20, 2014
    Asphalt paving technology continues to develop, benefiting from new technologies and new diesel engines - Mike Woof reports The asphalt paving equipment market is seeing the introduction of new low emission engines that will meet the Tier 4 Final regulations for Europe and North America. These have required some major engineering changes, with firms now having to install bulky exhaust after-treatment systems and additional cooling for engines and turbos.
  • Working towards safer India mobility...
    July 18, 2012
    Sibylle Rupprecht, IRF-GPC Director General, looks towards sound mobility management at the 3rd Regional Conference of the International Road Federation 3rd-4th October 2008 in New Delhi, India More than 1.2 million deaths and 23 million injuries are caused by road accidents worldwide every year. Of these, India accounts for 10% of fatal accidents. These alarming figures were disclosed by the speakers at the 3rd Regional IRF Conference on 'Mobility and Safety in Road Transport' to some 250 engineers and exp
  • New emissions proposals - lean, clean green construction machines – but at what cost?
    October 3, 2014
    The European Commission has published proposals setting strict limits on exhaust emissions for off-highway machinery. This proposal has major implications for the construction machinery sector and would make the EU exhaust emissions limits the strictest in the world. There has been a call for swift reading of the regulation in Parliament and Council. This long-anticipated proposal for a revision of the directive 97/68/EC, covers exhaust emissions reduction for engines installed in non-road mobile machinery.
  • Major firms are offering key diesel developments
    September 26, 2013
    New diesel developments from JCB and Volvo Innovative diesel technologies are being developed by all the major engine manufacturers at present. New emission requirements have pushed the boundaries in terms of technology, with all the firms working on new systems to ensure their products meet requirements. And companies are also developing new engine sizes to broaden their range of offerings to the market.