Effectiveness of India?s Bharat Stage mitigation measures in reducing vehicular emissions

In an effort to reduce the impact of vehicular emissions on air quality, India has set Bharat Stage (BS) emission standards since 2000 and the country has now shifted to BS-VI norms from April 2020 onwards. In the present work, the impacts of different stages of BS emission standards in controlling the pollutant emissions are analyzed. The results show that the CO, NMVOC, OC and BC emissions have reduced by 7%, 9.7%, 20% and 5% respectively in 2021, when compared to 2017. Despite the stringent emission norms throughout the years, the NOx emission levels have increased by 4.9% in 2021 with reference to 2017. The NOx emissions show a positive correlation with vehicular population under BS-VI norms. The findings indicate that though the advanced emission control measures are expected to effectively reduce the emissions, it comes out with the penalty of emitting new pollutant species and increase in NOx levels. Thus it calls for the integration of different emission control technologies in a balanced way, which is not reflected in the current policy scenarios.

Automated summary

In an effort to reduce vehicular emissions, India has implemented Bharat Stage (BS) emission standards since 2000 and shifted to BS-VI norms from April 2020. This study analyzes the impact of different stages of BS emission standards on pollutant emissions. The results show reductions in CO, NMVOC, OC, and BC emissions in 2021 compared to 2017, but an increase in NOx emissions. The findings highlight the need for a balanced integration of emission control technologies to address the new pollutants and increase in NOx levels.