Bharat Stage Emission Standards: History, Importance And Relevance

The Government of India implemented the Bharat Stage emission norms (BS Norms) as a part of its efforts to control vehicle emissions and enhance air quality in the country. In this regard, the relevant standards in the Indian context have undergone sequences of changes over the years, particularly considering the ever-increasing concern about the adverse effects of air pollution on health.

History

In 1989, India began to implement more stringent measures against pollution by establishing idle emission limits. The country began adopting levels of European standards in the early 2000s, and consequently, Bharat Stage I was born in 2000. Subsequently, 2001 witnessed the launch of BS-II norms; 2005 witnessed the launch of BS-III norms. The BS-III norms were applicable in the country until 2017 when BS-IV standards were adopted. Nevertheless 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were concerns about air pollution; thus, the country took a leap over BS-V and straight towards BS-VI. The idea behind this transition was to reduce emissions from vehicles, which are considered highly harmful; the emissions controlled under BS-VI rules are the strictest in the world. Thus, the decision to pass BS-V was taken considering the level of pollution that was skewed in favour of cities like Delhi. This change was mainly triggered by the rage of the citizenry and the direction of the Apex Court. The new norms require substantial reductions in nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions, aligning India's regulations more closely with their European counterparts.

What are Bharat Stage norms?

The Bharat Stage emission standards are guidelines given by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change to control vehicle pollutants. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is responsible for implementing these standards and has established a more stringent framework of standards for SO2, HC, NOx, PM, CO, and other emissions. The BS norms are based on the European (EURO) emission standards. As of now, BS-VI has been made mandatory after the Hon'ble Supreme Court directed the vehicle manufacturers to comply with BS-VI norms in all vehicles being sold post-March 2020. Further, diesel engines must now comply and cut down on NOx emissions by 70% compared to BS-IV, especially with the new introduction of BS-VI standards. On the other hand, gasoline engines must include new features such as on-board diagnostic systems and three-way catalytic converters. Also, the use of low-sulfur fuel is being implemented, with the levels changing from 50 ppm to 10 ppm. The main objective of this scheme is to control vehicle emissions and enhance air quality.

Impact on Environment

The following impacts can be attributed to the implementation of Bharat Stage (BS) emission standards:

Lower levels of air pollutants: Compared to BS-IV gasoline, BS-VI fuel emits fewer air pollutants. For instance, BS-VI fuel reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by around 70% per kilometre compared to BS-IV fuel.
Sulfur content decrease: The sulfur concentration of BS-VI fuel is five times lower than that of BS-IV fuel.
Decreased toxic hydrocarbons: The amount of dangerous hydrocarbons created by incomplete fuel combustion is decreased by BS-VI standards.
Increased fuel economy: Vehicles that comply with BS-VI use less fuel and show less wear and tear.
Measurements of emissions in the real world: Real Driving Emission (RDE) testing was introduced by BS-VI requirements and monitors emissions under actual driving circumstances.

Impact on Car Manufacturers

Automobile makers should implement changes in the structure of the cars and find new fuels for each class of vehicles—diesel, gasoline, and compressed natural gas (CNG). On one hand, these technological adjustments result in higher production costs; on the other, they offer development opportunities. In this changing landscape, customers and markets have been observed to shift towards cleaner options; fast enough manufacturers will benefit from selling demanding products—effective vehicles that meet strict performance requirements. In addition, such compliance will benefit the internal factors of production, as it will promote foreign trade and encourage the growth of local industries. The shift from BS-IV to BS-VI has created huge obstacles for the Indian automobile industry. To meet the new requirements, large amounts of capital investment are required in technology and production processes. Vehicle manufacturers are obligated to implement newer exhaust emission systems, such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) subsystems and diesel particulate filter (DPF). Such compliance will also benefit the internal factors of production, as it will promote foreign trade and encourage the growth of local industries.

Future

To tackle air pollution and enhance public health, the Indian government has decided to roll out the Bharat Stage 7 (BS7) norms based on Euro 7 standards, flexible yet stringent norms for automobile emissions, from 2025 to 2026. BS7 will place more stringent regulations on the level of emissions for pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The gasoline and diesel vehicle NOx limit is expected to be set to 60 mg/km within the standard, and an onboard monitoring (OBM) system will monitor tailpipe emissions during driving to confirm compliance. BS7 will also include the control of non-exhaust emissions, such as brake dust or tyre wear. In addition, proper battery testing will be an imperative step to guarantee that electric vehicles will be environmentally friendly throughout their usage and even after disposal. The benefits of BS& are expected to be very positive. The new norms will likely reduce the emissions of these severe pollutants and greenhouse gases by 40% by 2030. Such a reduction is vital in meeting the climate goals and enhancing air quality. Reducing pollution levels can prevent many related illnesses, which result in several premature deaths a year due to the risk of exposure to air pollution. Nevertheless, more is needed to translate into easy accomplishment of those goals. These new regulations would require manufacturers to undertake significant technological advancements, which may increase vehicle costs. Conformity to the standards will also require the application of more stringent compliance and enforcement mechanisms. The adoption of Bharat Stage emission standards in India represents an important initial measure to improve the public's health and the quality of air. Although a lot of work remains, the switch from BS—IV to BS—VI has seen manufacturers make significant strides in reducing vehicle emissions. Similar opportunities and challenges exist in the automobile industry as the country prepares to start implementing the BS-VII standards to ensure that it conforms to the international norms for the automotive business. Although manufacturers will have to invest billions of dollars in developing new technologies, the sociocultural and ecological benefits will be enormous. Technological advancements towards greener modes of transport are bound to occur since the country is determined to meet its development goals without compromising its environmental ones.