Over 80 publicly flogged in Afghanistan in past month amid human rights concerns
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Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Much-needed relief': Govt welcomes SC directive on end-of-life vehicles
As the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim relief to owners of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), the state government welcomed the decision, stressing that the move could bring permanent relief to the residents of Delhi. Commenting on the development, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, 'By actively participating in the judicial process, we will continue to firmly represent the interests of the people of Delhi.' Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also responded positively to the court's decision. He thanked the Supreme Court and Gupta for 'securing much-needed relief for lakhs of vehicle owners in Delhi.' 'This is a big relief for the people of Delhi… Chief Minister Rekha Gupta fought this battle on behalf of the people of Delhi. We hope that in the days to come, we will be able to bring permanent relief to the residents of Delhi,' the minister said. In April this year, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had directed a phased denial of fuel to ELVs at fuel stations in the NCR (National Capital Region) — in Delhi from July 1, in high-density NCR districts from November 1, and in the rest of the NCR from April 1, 2026. The move was intended to force ELVs, a major source of vehicular pollution, off the roads.
Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Ban on overaged vehicles: No coercive steps to be taken while SC hears review plea
In a relief to vehicle owners in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that no coercive action be taken against owners of 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles while it hears a review plea filed by the Delhi government in this regard. Issuing notice on the plea, a three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said, 'In the meantime, no coercive steps to be taken against the owners of the car on the ground that they are 10 years old in respect to diesel vehicles and 15 years old with respect to petrol vehicles.' The bench also comprised Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria. As part of efforts to combat air pollution, the National Green Tribunal had in 2015 directed that diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years should not be allowed to operate in Delhi NCR. This was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. Recently, the Delhi government had approached the Supreme Court seeking a review of the order saying the blanket ban on old vehicles 'was observed to have caused numerous practical hardships to the citizens of Delhi'. In its application dated July 25, the Rekha Gupta government had argued that 'the road-worthiness of a vehicle is a technical and scientific issue that must be linked to actual emissions as tested and recorded by mechanisms as set out under the Motor Vehicles Act, the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, etc., as opposed to blanket ban on the basis of age which is unlinked to actual emissions'. It added that the ban on the plying of the said vehicles in the last seven years, 'though undoubtedly salutary in aim, was observed to have caused numerous practical hardships to the citizens of Delhi, which today, in light of the advancements in technology and enforcement now prima facie appear to outweigh the prudence and feasibility of continuance of the said ban'. The plea further urged the court to direct the Centre or the Commission on Air Quality Management (CAQM) 'to carry out a suitable broad based, scientific study on the need for continuance' of the complete ban imposed by the Supreme Court's October 29, 2018, order. The government said the complete ban order 'was originally passed as an emergency measure during a period when Bharat Stage IV (BS-IV) emission standards were in force and the migration to Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI), which has much stricter and advanced norms, had not yet commenced'. It added, 'However, it is submitted that to tackle the issue of pollution in the NCR region, a comprehensive policy is required which gives vehicle fitness based on the actual emission levels of an individual vehicle as per scientific methods rather than implementing a blanket ban based on solely the age of the vehicle.' The government said that significant technological, legal, and environmental developments have taken place since 2018, which warrant a 're-examination of this decision' by an expert body to form a structured and graded plan to tackle pollution. The state said that since the issue of Delhi's air quality is not confined solely to the National Capital Territory but rather to the broader NCR, it is submitted that 'it would be appropriate if suitable scientific studies on the feasibility, desirability and efficacy of continuing the said ban are carried out' at the level of the Union government or the CAQM. The Delhi government's attempt to stop fuel supply to end-of-life vehicles had met with hurdles soon after it came into effect in the Capital on July 1. Citing 'critical operational and infrastructural challenges', it had asked CAQM to put the fuel ban 'on hold with immediate effect.'
Hindustan Times
10 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Govt seeks to allay concerns on E20, says no impact on insurance
India has achieved its target of mixing 20% ethanol with petrol nearly 10 months earlier than the 2025-26 deadline set by the government, but drivers appear to be wary of blended gasoline impacting engines and fuel economy of cars, especially older vehicles, concerns the petroleum ministry said are 'unfounded'. Many drivers have taken to social-media platforms of late, complaining about lower mileage with blended petrol and poorer drive quality. (ANI) Many drivers have taken to social-media platforms of late, complaining about lower mileage with blended petrol and poorer drive quality. There have been doubts if insurance and warranty were rendered void with using petrol with 20% ethanol, know as E20. The petroleum ministry on Tuesday clarified that blended petrol didn't invalidate vehicle insurance. Automobiles 'tuned' for E20 delivered better acceleration and drivability, the ministry said, adding that the government's high-priority ethanol-blending programme had substantially cut pollution and saved foreign exchange that goes into oil purchases. 'On most parameters, there are no issues,' the ministry said to quell growing consumer skepticism. Oil marketing companies achieved the E20 goal in July, after having reached 19.92% in the previous month, with an output of 66 billion litres of ethanol during 2024-25, official data show. Of this, 25.5 billion litres came from grains and the rest from molasses, a byproduct of sugar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in 2021 advanced the target of blending petrol with 20% ethanol by five years to 2025-26 to cut emissions and the nation's oil import bill. The strategy has saved India nearly ₹1.44 lakh crore in crude import costs between 2014 and 2024, according to official data, helping cut an estimated 54.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. In a social-media post on August 2, the ministry did say that ethanol, which is of lower energy density than petrol, resulted in a 'marginal decrease in mileage, estimated at 1–2% for four-wheelers designed for E10 and calibrated for E20, and around 3–6% in others'. The Centre had hastened the E20 programme with a raft of measures to help turn sugarcane molasses and grains, such as rice and maize, into ethanol, which is mixed 20 parts to 80 parts of petrol. Sugar mills were given soft loans to add distillation capacity to make ethanol. The government also allocated 5.2 million tonnes of surplus rice owned by the Food Corporation of India, each for 2024-25 and 2025-26, for ethanol production. It also allowed diversion of four million tonnes of sugar in 2024-25 and lowered the goods and services tax rate to 5% for ethanol used in the E20 programme. Fuel efficiency in older ICT (internal combustion engines) will naturally be lower due to E20 because ethanol has a lower energy content of about 21 megajoule (MJ) per litre against 34.2 MJ of pure petrol, said Santhosh K, a professor at the Manipal Institute of Technology. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, or Siam, has been working to ensure vehicles are compliant with E20 fuel, with material compliance starting in 2023 and full readiness by 2025-26. Under a government-mandated programme, automakers started producing vehicles with fuel components that can withstand wear and tear caused by ethanol. The ministry said 'replacement of some rubber parts/ gaskets could be advised in certain older vehicles after prolonged use of say 20,000 to 30,000 kms. This replacement is inexpensive and easily done during regular servicing of the vehicle'. On fuel economy, the ministry on Friday said mileage depended on factors beyond just fuel type, including driving habits and maintenance. Many aren't convinced. 'Sudden drop in mileage after filling at HCPL station. Government should also sell pure petrol, not just E20,' wrote Geeta M, a Banglorean, on X. Some consumers say the government should give an option to purchase pure unblended petrol, which the ministry has ruled out. The country had reached its goal of E10, or 10% ethanol blending, ahead of schedule in 2022. A decision on whether the blending programme would be ramped up will be taken only when an interministerial panel submits its report and wider consultations with stakeholders are held. 'There has been a period of over four years which has allowed vehicle technology to improve, supply chain to be calibrated and an overall eco-system developed,' the ministry said in response to demand by some consumers that pure petrol should also be available to drivers. 'The alternative of going back to E-0 petrol would involve losing the hard fought gains on pollution and the success achieved in energy transition,' the ministry said.
