Assessment of the Pollution Under Control Program in India and Recommendations for Improvement

Urban air pollution, primarily in the form of highly elevated ambient concentrations of small particulate matter, poses a serious threat to the health of urban dwellers in many cities in India. The transport sector is one of the contributors to particulate air pollution. Therefore, controlling emissions from vehicles is an important component of urban air quality management. Studies show that gross polluters, which make up a relatively small fraction of the overall fleet, are responsible for a large percent of total vehicular emissions. For example, the US Auto/Oil program, costing US$40 million and lasting 6 years, found that 20 percent of vehicles were responsible for 80 percent of emissions. These findings suggest that identifying and repairing gross polluters is essential if transport-related air pollution is to be tackled. Experience in developing countries has shown, however, that establishing an effective inspection and maintenance program for this purpose is extremely difficult. India is no exception and the current pollution under control system, intended to check emissions from in-use vehicles, is widely regarded to be ineffectual.