Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday said Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms will be implemented across the country next year, adding that the move would drastically reduce vehicular pollution.
"Vehicle pollution has to be contained immediately. We are giving out clean fuel in Delhi from this year and the entire country from next year. BS-VI compliant vehicles will help reduce 90 per cent vehicular pollution," Javadekar said while replying to various supplementaries in the Lok Sabha during the Question Hour.
Bharat Stage emission standards (BSES) are instituted by the government to regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engines and spark-ignition engines equipment, including motor vehicles.
The Minister also claimed that the government has been successful in gradually bringing down the pollution levels in Delhi and NCR due to its targeted approach.
"Due to the steps taken by the central government, Air Pollutant PM 2.5 level has been reduced to 15 per cent and the PM 10 level is reduced to 17 per cent in last three years," Javadekar said.
He said the number of 'Good' to 'Moderate' days has increased to 159 in 2018, as compared to 152 in 2017 and 106 in 2016, and the number of 'Poor' to 'Severe' days has reduced to 206, compared to 213 in 2017 and 246 in 2016.
With the peripheral expressway now functional in Delhi, Javadekar said over 60,000 vehicles, which earlier used to pass through the national capital, are now going to their destinations without entering Delhi.
He also said air pollution is a global problem and not restricted to India. "We are part of the global solution. In Delhi, the problem started from 2007 but has been addressed only in 2014," the Minister noted.
Javadekar noted that the peripheral highways have been built completely in four years and all polluting industries now have online monitoring mechsm.
The Minister, however, said that there are no conclusive data available in the country to establish a direct correlation of death/ disease exclusively due to air pollution.
"From time to time, have been publishing estimates of mortality/ morbidity attributable to environmental pollution based on models, simulations and extrapolations. One such estimate published in 2019 reports total life expectancy loss in South Asia from air pollution to be 2 years and 6 months," he said.
To address the issue of stubble burning, which affects the Delhi-NCR region a lot and is one of the major factors of air pollution during the winter season, Javadekar said he will hold a meeting of Chief Ministers of five states after the parliament session concludes.
( With inputs from ANI )