Uniform CNG norms needed for entire NCR: Sheila Dikshit

New Delhi, May 25 (UNI) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has called for enforcement of uniform CNG norms in entire National Capital Region that will further help in curbing pollution in Delhi.

Delivering the inaugural address in a workshop on 'Cost Benefit Assessment of CNG Introduction in Delhi' organised today at the Delhi Secretariat here, she said there was no restriction on entry of commercial vehicles not propelled by CNG in Delhi resulting increase in the pollution level.

An overall savings of Rs 3,040 crore had occurred during last five years after introduction of CNG in Delhi, Ms Dikshit said.

Savings in respect of per kilometer running of buses was Rs 0.84, auto was Rs 0.79, taxis and cars Rs 1.31, she added.

Financial savings occurred due to use of CNG cars and three-wheelers came to 62 per cent whereas by using CNG buses, it was 36 per cent, she said.

Low selling price of CNG compared to the price of Diesel, Petrol and LPG was the criteria for achieving financial savings, she added.

Delhi had earned a distinction of the city having the largest CNG Fleet in the world. There were 26,350 CNG vehicles in Delhi in year 2001. The figure went up to 94,039 in year 2006. The figure included 400 and 10,500 buses, 14,000 and 52,240 autos and 2,200 and 5,099 taxis and 9,500 and 19,000 private vehicles respectively.

An amount of Rs 2,723 crore had been spent on introduction of CNG in Delhi, which included Rs 1,016 crore as public expenditure.

Ms Dikshit added that 3,629 lives were saved in year 2005 due to improvement of air quality after introduction of CNG in Delhi.

Functioning of 142 CNG stations had also created direct employment opportunities.

''The level of air-pollution has much improved and one could easily see sparkling stars in the sky in night.'' The concentration of CO, SO2 and Benzene in the ambient air had come down. The level of RSPM and SPM has stabilised despite the ever-increasing growth of vehicles.

An overall improvement in the ambient air quality had been observed inspite of the fact that both number of vehicles and population was increasing at a steady rate in Delhi.

Ms Dikshit stressed the need to strengthen pollution control measures and gave assurance of maintaining attractive price of CNG.

She indicated that her government would come with package of incentives for phasing out two-stroke engines to minimise emission pollutants particles.

State Environment Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan and Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf were also present on the occasion.

The study on cost benefit assessment had been conducted by the Consultancy Development Centre, New Delhi.

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