Review vehicular emission standard, install air purifiers in schools, suggests House panel, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• Parliamentary panel suggests reviewing vehicular emission standards to combat Delhi-NCR air pollution.
• Recommendations include installing air purifiers in public schools and hospitals.
• Panel advises abolishing or reducing GST on air purifiers and HEPA filters.
• Suggestions to cap registration of non-electric cars and offer EV tax incentives.
• ISRO urged to launch satellite for 24x7 farm fire monitoring.
• Delhi's PM 2.5 levels need a 62% reduction to meet national air quality standards.

Detailed Insights:

• The panel emphasizes that a single solution cannot resolve the complex pollution issue.
• A prohibitive tax on air purifiers is seen as monetizing a public health failure, especially impacting vulnerable children.
• Ethanol blending, while beneficial for energy security, may increase nitrogen oxide emissions from older vehicles.
• The government should evaluate adopting stricter evaporative emission standards to capture fuel vapors from vehicles.
• Incentives like free EV parking and higher fees for petrol/diesel vehicles can boost EV adoption.
• Farmers evading satellite detection of farm fires prompted call for high-resolution monitoring.
• Revising National Ambient Air Quality Standards and installing pollution control devices in thermal plants are crucial.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Vehicular Emission Standards: Regulations controlling pollutants released by vehicles.
• HEPA Filters: High-Efficiency Particulate Air filters that trap airborne particles.
• National Ambient Air Quality Standards: Permissible pollution levels for ambient air.