Ban diesel 4-wheelers in million+ cities, blend LPG: panel

The quest for clean energy and cleaner air has prompted the energy transition advisory committee of the petroleum ministry to recommend a ban of diesel-driven four-wheelers in all cities of the country with more than a million residents by 2027, The Economic Times has reported. The changes recommended touch virtually all aspects of public life ranging from how the country moves men and materials to the way its citizens cook their food.

In its final report, the panel headed by former ONGC chairman Subhash Kumar has also said that no diesel busses should be added to the existing fleet in urban settlements. It has also said that the transition should be towards electric vehicles.

Process from next year

Another key assertion of the body is that diesel-powered delivery vehicles in the city should be phased out and the process should begin next year. From 2024, diesel-driven city delivery vehicles should not be permitted and registrations should be granted to only electric ones so that the share of these green vehicles rise to 75% and above in cities that have a million-plus population, the panel has added.

Railway concern

Though the railways has been losing the share of freight in the national market to road transport, the panel has recommended that steps must be taken to ensure that the railways should command 50% of the freight market in 15 years. The current share is less than a quarter ie, at 23%.

Another recommendation is that liquified petroleum gas or the LPG that the country uses to cook food must also undergo a change in composition. Hydrogen and biogas must be used to blend the gas that is currently bottled in cylinders and delivered to our homes.

Incidentally, LPG consists of propane, butane, propylene, isobutane and butylene, all of which are hydrocarbon gasses. When burnt, it produces carbon di oxide.

In its final report, the panel has also recommended that the share of grid power in the country’s energy basket be raised by at least 40%. The current level is at 18%. The panel is also in favour of having one-quarter of the families cooking using electricity as fuel by the year 2030.

Natural gas storage infrastructure that can store gas for two months of the country’s needs should also be set up, the body said.