NEW DELHI: Government, on Wednesday decided to implement BS-VI emission norm by 2020.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by transport minister Nitin Gadkari and was attended by ministers of petroleum, environment and heavy industries.
Gadkari said that the decision to take necessary steps to reduce air pollution in the country was unanimous. Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the government has kept the promise of PM in COP-21.
India currently has BS-III, equivalent of Euro-III specifications, across the country and BS-IV in major cities. “BS-IV will be supplied in most big cities by April 2016 and all over the country from April 2017,” he said.
Oil refineries will need to invest Rs 80,000 crore in upgrading petrol and diesel quality to meet cleaner fuel specifications by 2020.
Previously, the fuels meeting Euro-IV or Bharat Stage (BS)-IV specifications were to be supplied throughout the country by April 2017 and BS-V or Euro-V grade fuel by April 1, 2020.
BS-IV fuels contain 50 parts per million (ppm) sulphur, while BS-V and BS-VI grade fuel will have 10 ppm sulphur.
