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In a bid to deal with the critical pollution situation in the national capital, the Ministry of Petroleum has brought forward the date for the rollout of BS-VI fuel for Delhi to April 1, 2018 instead of the original deadline of April 1, 2020.

“Taking into account the serious pollution levels in Delhi and adjoining areas, the Petroleum Ministry in consultation with Public Oil Marketing Companies has decided for preponement of BS-VI grade auto fuels in NCT of Delhi with effect from April 1, 2018 instead of April 1, 2020. OMCs have also been asked to examine the possibility of introduction of BS-VI auto fuels in the whole of NCR area with effect from April 1, 2019,” a ministry statement said.

Auto manufacturing umbrella body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said that while the move to BS-VI fuel in Delhi could reduce the particulate emissions from the existing fleet of vehicles, there are more steps the government can take, such as stringently enforcing the order banning BS II and earlier vintage vehicles from plying in the NCR region.

Industry players, however, have said that the rollout of the higher standard fuel in Delhi does not mean that BS-VI compliant vehicles will enter the Indian market before the stipulated deadline of 2020.“The early introduction of BS-VI fuel gives confidence to the auto industry that BS-VI fuel will be available across the country from April 1, 2020, when the auto industry will fully migrate to manufacturing only BS-VI compliant vehicles on a pan India basis,” Abhay Firodia, president of the SIAM, said in a note.

“Directionally, we feel it is a step in the right direction to fight pollution in Delhi,” Pawan Goenka, MD of Mahindra&Mahindra, said. “However, as far as the automobile industry is concerned, we are already working on a stretched deadline to launch BS VI vehicles by April 2020.”

“Launching of BS-VI vehicles only for Delhi is also not feasible as the fuel will not be available outside the capital and BS-VI vehicles cannot run on BSIV fuel,” Mr. Goenka added.Industry players say that the rollout of BS-VI fuel in Delhi works well for the auto manufacturers as they can test their vehicles using the fuel, and it also serves as the first stage in shifting the entire country onto BS-VI from BS-IV.

“It is part of the process to rollout BS-VI fuel across the country in a phased manner to be ready by the deadline of 2020,” R.C. Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki Enterprises, told The Hindu. “In these two years, they have to produce enough fuel in the country, both petrol and diesel. BS-VI compliant vehicles can only be rolled out when there is the fuel across the country.”

“Availability of BS-VI fuel in Delhi from April 2018 also gives an opportunity to the vehicle manufacturers in this region to test and validate the BS-VI vehicles being developed by the auto industry so as to be fully ready for the April 2020 deadline,” Mr. Firodia added.