V. M. Lal Committee Report

CONTENTS PART - I Page No. I. CHAPTER - I - INTRODUCTION 4 II. CHAPTER - II - Recommendations 14 III. CHAPTER - III - Term of reference (A) 35 IV. CHPATER - IV - Term of reference (B) 40 V. CHPATER - V - Term of reference (C) 46 VI. CHAPTER - VI - Term of reference (D) 53 VII. CHAPTER - VII - Term of reference (E) 56 VIII. CHAPTER - VIII - Term of reference (F) 58 IX. CHAPTER - IX - Term of reference (G) 67 X. CHAPTER - X - Term of reference (H) 70 XI. CHAPTER - XI - Term of reference (I) 72 XII. CHAPTER - XII - Term of reference (J) 75 XIII. CHAPTER - XIII - Term of reference (K) 81 XIV. CHAPTER - XIV - Term of reference (L) 83 XV. CHAPTER - XV - Terms of reference (M) 86 XVI. CHAPTER - XVI - Term of reference (N) 88 XVII. CHAPTER - XVII - Term of reference (O) 98 XVIII. CHAPTER - XVIII - General Recommendations (P) 99 XIX. CHAPTER - XIX - Acknowledgements 104 1 PART - II - ANNEXURES Page No. Annexure - I 109 Annexure - II 163 Annexure - III 172 Annexure - IV 173 Annexure - V 196 Annexure - VI 201 Annexure - VII 205 Annexure - VIII 209 Annexure - IX 218 Annexure - X 225 Annexure - XI 230 Annexure - XII 232 Annexure - XIII 234 Annexure - XIV 235 Annexure - XV 246 Annexure - XVI 249 Annexure - XVII 265 Annexure - XVIII 267 Annexure - XIX 271 Annexure - XX 272 Annexure - XXI 274 Annexure - XXII 279 Annexure - XXIII 281 Annexure - XXIV 283 Annexure - XXV 285 Annexure - XXVI 286 2 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED ALL - Ashok Leyland Limited ARAI - Automotive Research Association of India BEST - Brihan-Mumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking BMC - Brihan-Mumbai Municipal Corporation CNG - Compressed Natural Gas CO - Carbon - monoxide DTC - Delhi Transport Corporation ETBE - Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether HC - Hydro Carbon HSU - Hartridge Smoke Unit LPG - Liquified Petroleum Gas MTBE - Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether MCGM - Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai MGL - Mahanagar Gas Limited MMR - Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMRDA - Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority NOx - Nitrogen Oxide PM - Particulate Matter RSPM - Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter SIAM - Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers SO2 - Sulphur Dioxide SPM - Suspended Particulate Matter TELCO - Tata Engineering & Locomotive Company TAME - Tertiary Amyl Methyl Ether 3 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Constitution and Terms of Reference of the Committee 1.1 This Committee was constituted under an order dated 15th December 1999 passed by a Division Bench of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court comprising of the Hon’ble Chief Justice Y.S. Sabharwal and Justice Smt. Ranjana Desai , in Writ Petition No. 1762 of 1999 (Smoke Affected Residents Forum vs Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay & Ors). 1.2 The Hon’ble Court observed in this order that in view of the deteriorating quality of ambient air in the city, it was necessary to immediately pass certain directions with respect to fining and suspension of registration of polluting vehicles, action regarding illegal replacement of four-cylinder engines with three cylinder engines or petrol with diesel engines , constitution of flying squads, action in respect of adulteration of fuel, etc. The Hon’ble Division Bench has stated in its Order, “It would be necessary to have environment friendly vehicles/engines, environment friendly oils and above all, environment friendly approach.” 4 1.3 The Hon’ble court also observed that it was necessary to constitute an expert Committee so that the entire matter could be examined and, on consideration of the Committee's report, further directions in the matter could be issued. 1.4 A Committee consisting of the following persons was therefore constituted by the order: (a) Mr V. M. Lal, Transport Commissioner – Chairman and Convenor (b) A representative of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (c) A Representative of the Bombay Environmental Action Group (d) Dr P.S Pasricha , former Joint Commissioner of Police (Mumbai). (e) A Representative of the Ministry of Environment and Forests , Government of India , not below the rank of Joint Secretary. (f) A representative of C.L.E.A.N Air , Mrs Khajotia. 5 1.5 The terms of reference of the Committee were 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 to acceptable limits. (b) Use of alternative fuels such as CNG/reformulated gasoline, etc. Administrative and Regulatory measures that would be required for setting up additional pumps for dispensing CNG. (c) Desirability and feasibility of converting the existing buses/taxis to CNG. (d) Assessment of whether the existing emission norms required to be revised for Mumbai city and, if so, at what levels they should be fixed. (e) Applicability of Euro 1 and Euro 2 norms to commercial non- private vehicles). (f) Desirability and feasibility of phasing out of vehicles (private cars, trucks, buses, taxis, auto-rickshaws and two wheelers) over a certain age limit. (g) Measures for improvement of emission levels of in-use vehicles correspondingly. 6 (h) Financial incentives that can be made available for replacement of old taxis and auto-rickshaws with new vehicles running on clean fuel. (i) Action required to be taken in respect of two wheelers and three wheelers utilising two-stroke engines. (j) Measures to prevent fuel adulteration. (k) Effects of the use of unleaded petrol without catalytic converters. (l) Incentives for conversion to cleaner technologies including, in particular, reduction of import duties and other levies on CNG kits and catalytic converters. (m) Desirability and feasibility of ensuring premixed oil (petrol and 2T) and banning supply of loose 2T oil. (n) Proper management and regulation of traffic with a view to reducing vehicular pollution. (o) Effective methods of monitoring and improving prescribed emission norms. The Committee was also directed to indicate appropriate time frames within which compliance with the recommendations should be required. 7 B. Constitution and sittings of the Committee. 1.6 Accordingly, the Committee comprised of the following persons: (a) Mr V. M. Lal, Transport Commissioner, Maharashtra State – Chairman and Convenor (b) Mr Vijai Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. (c) Dr P.S Pasricha, Additional Director General of Police. (d) Mr A M Deshpande, Air Pollution Abatement Engineer, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. (e) Mr Debi Goenka, representative of the Bombay Environmental Action Group. (f) Mrs Zinnia Khajotia of C.L.E.A.N Air. 1.7 The Committee had seven official meetings during which various issues were discussed in detail and the material submitted and presentations made before the Committee were exhaustively examined and considered. Most of the meetings were attended and participated in by representatives of the oil industries, the traffic police, the taximen's and transporters unions, the automobile industry, environmental 8 organisations, the BEST, the Bombay Municipal Corporation, Mahanagar Gas Limited, Society of Indian Automobile Manaufaturers (SIAM), and others. The Committee has followed a broad policy of keeping the meetings open to participation by those affected by or connected with the issues under consideration. The Committee has followed the procedure of having open and free discussions with these persons in order to obtain their views and to arrive at a proper understanding of the various facets of the problem. Some of these parties have also submitted their views in writing and made presentations before the Committee. The minutes of the seven meetings Annexure I of the Committee are appended to this report. 1.8 In addition to considering the points of view and submissions made by the various parties who participated in the sittings of the Committee and/or submitted written submissions, the Committee also carefully examined and took into account a large amount of technical and other material including various reports and books by experts in the field which, in the opinion of the Committee, was of use in the present context. For instance, the Committee took note of the recommendations made in the Reports of the Environmental Pollution Control Authority in New Delhi, (commonly known as “the Bhure Lal Committee") on the issue of air pollution, on the basis of which the Hon’ble Supreme Court has already passed a number of extensive directions. Whilst the Committee is aware that the Delhi experience could not be simply replicated in Mumbai, the Committee held the view that the action taken in Delhi on the basis of the recommendations of the Bhure Lal Committee and the orders of the Supreme Court forms a valuable precedent. The Committee has also taken particular note of the Draft Action Plan for Mumbai of the Central Pollution Control 9 Board, Ministry of Environment & Forests, New Delhi, in which various measures have been stipulated and time frames laid down for their implementation. We feel that implementation of the various recommendations in the Draft Action Plan would form a first step in the massive task of restoring the ambient air quality of this city. The Committee therefore is of the view that the actions recommended by the CPCB in their Draft Action Plan need to be implemented on a priority basis. 1.9 In addition to the above, and in order to acquaint themselves with the technology available to check vehicular pollution, the Committee visited

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