Context: The Supreme Court Thursday asked the Centre to formulate a policy to phase out heavy-duty diesel vehicles and to replace them with BSVI vehicles.

News:

• The Supreme Court directed the Centre to formulate a policy within six months regarding the use of the Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Tughlaqabad, Delhi, to address air pollution concerns.
• The order followed a plea by the Container Corporation of India challenging the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) directive from March 8, 2019.
• The NGT had instructed the corporation to ensure a phased shift from diesel vehicles to electric, hybrid, and CNG vehicles at the ICD, citing their contribution to air pollution in the Delhi NCR area.

The Bharat Stage (BS) Emission Standards

• They are regulations established by the Indian Government to control the emission of air pollutants from automobiles.
• The determination of fuel standards in the country falls under the jurisdiction of the Environment Ministry, while the Central Pollution Control Board oversees the implementation of these standards.
• These regulations are modeled after the European emission standards. Manufacturers have the option to introduce vehicles adhering to BS VI fuel standards even before the April 2020 deadline, but post-deadline, non-compliant vehicles will not be eligible for registration.
• The enforcement of these new norms is expected to significantly reduce pollution levels by decreasing particulate matter (PM) emissions, with vehicles being a significant contributor to air pollution.

BS-VI emission norms

• The implementation of BS-VI emission norms has been announced by the Union Environment Minister, slated to begin in 2020, with the aim of significantly reducing vehicular pollution.
• Vehicle manufacturers are required to adopt new technologies to ensure compliance with the BS-VI standards.
• Originally scheduled for 2022, the transition to BS-VI vehicles has been expedited by four years due to the alarming air quality conditions.
• Starting from April 1, 2020, all vehicles, including four and two-wheelers and commercial vehicles, must adhere to the new BS-VI standards.
• Currently, India utilizes BS IV and BS III fuels, contributing to increased levels of hazardous air pollutants associated with health issues like asthma, bronchitis, heart diseases, and cancer.