GOODBYE BS-III: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INDIAN EMISSION STANDARDS

The Supreme Court of India has banned the sale of vehicles that do not comply with BS IV emission norms as the norms are set to become mandatory from April 1, 2017.

But why is this decision so important and how does it make an impact in your life? And above all, what is BS IV and how does it differ from the earlier emission norm – BS III – being followed by the Indian automakers till now?

But what is this BS?

To start with, the ‘BS’ in BS IV stands for ‘Bharat Stage’ which signifies the emission regulation standards set by Indian regulatory bodies. The ‘IV’ is a roman numeric representation for four (4). The higher the number gets, the stricter the Bharat Stage emission norms get which eventually means it becomes trickier (and costlier) for automakers to meet them.

These emission standards were set by the central government to keep a check on the pollutant levels emitted by vehicles that use combustion engines. To bring them into force, the Central Pollution Control Board sets timelines and standards which have to be followed by automakers.

Also, the BS norms are based on European emission norms which, for example, are referred to in a similar manner like ‘Euro 4’ and ‘Euro 6’. These norms are followed largely by all automakers across the globe and act as a good reference point as to how much does a vehicle pollute.

The first emission norms in India were introduced in 1991 for petrol and the next year for diesel vehicles. In around 2005 and 2006, BS III was rolled out in NCR and several other cities in a bid to check on pollution. This was almost similar to European standards (Euro III) which was in place between 2000 and 2005 in most western nations.

Then what is the problem?

Supreme Court though has the health of people as its prime priority. Indian cities are fast becoming notorious toxic chambers with vehicular emissions playing a big role in contributing to the potential disaster.

Several environmental bodies and experts have praised the apex court's decision. They say the move from BS III to BS IV will significantly reduce pollution caused by motor vehicles.

While the application of a stricter emission norm may sound good, especially amidst the mounting concerns over the ever-rising pollution levels in the country, there’s a lot more to it than just that.

Firstly, it takes years for automakers to develop a new kind of an engine or to tweak around with the current ones used in their vehicles. Once the research and development is over, the task of setting up full scale production comes up. All of this comes at a cost which eventually makes the vehicle more expensive for the end customer of the product and that can be a cause of concern for automakers given how price sensitive the Indian market is.

As of now, BS IV will be implemented from April 1, 2017. Those looking to purchase a vehicle will have to spend a higher amount than before to own one.

But, the larger aim for the automotive sector as a whole is to implement BS VI emission regulation by the year 2020 in India. Yes, BS VI and yes, BS V will be skipped.
This will require a huge amount of investments to make the oil refineries capable of producing a better quality of fuel and also investments in the infrastructure to make that fuel available across the country.

To sum it up, India is making an effort to reach the global standards and hence, a lot of changes in the trends, sales and choices made by customers are expected in the coming years.