3 AUTOMOBILE POLLUTION

During the last decade, automobile pollution

has increased in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area
(KMA). Automobile exhausts emit particulate
matter, unburnt hydrocarbons, carbon
monoxide, nitrogen oxides and some
carcinogenic organic compounds like benzene
and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, having
adverse health impact among the exposed
population. Various other factors like
predominance of old outdated vehicles, lack
conditions helped accentuate the level of
automobile pollution. Rapid increase in the
number of vehicles is another reason for
increasing automobile pollution within the
KMA. As on 31 st March 2003, a total of
8,41,530 vehicles are registered with the Public
Vehicles Department, Kolkata and a total of
5,78,114 vehicles in the other five KMA
districts of 24 Parganas (South), 24 Parganas
(North), Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia. The
of maintenance, limited available road area, number of registered automobiles in KMA as
poor traffic management and poor road on 31.03.2003 is tabulated below.

TABLE 2.3.1
NO. OF VEHICLES REGISTERED IN KMA AS ON 31ST MARCH 2003
District 2- 3- Motor Taxi/ Mini- Bus Tractor/ Goods Others Total
Wheelers Wheelers Car & Luxury bus Trailer Vehicles
Jeeps Taxi
Kolkata 374409 15074 312911 35669 1207 8905 4821 67491 21043 841530
24Pgs(S) 26956 15849 61266 4502 493 4217 515 13856 188 127842
24Pgs(N) 82949 3316 24859 4282 805 3214 1053 50691 1028 172197
Howrah 69919 1123 10408 2017 733 1351 796 18208 310 104865
Hooghly 84417 1847 24982 939 139 1315 1278 10334 201 125452

Annual Report 2003-2004 35

Part II Chapter 3

District 2- 3- Motor Taxi/ Mini- Bus Tractor/ Goods Others Total

Wheelers Wheelers Car & Luxury bus Trailer Vehicles
Jeeps Taxi
Nadia 37207 270 910 892 102 627 2130 4334 1286 47758
TOTAL 675857 37479 435336 48301 3479 19629 10593 164914 24056 1419644
Total in 507044 25471 347977 41376 2356 13572 6501 110335 21939 1076573
KMA*

Source: Department of Transport, Government of West Bengal

l Considering vehicular pollution of total Kolkata, 75% of Howrah, 40% of 24 Parganas (North), 50% of 24
Parganas (South), 15% of Hooghly and 10% of Nadia in computation of vehicular pollution in KMA.

Upgradation of Auto Emission Testing Centres

Inspection and maintenance of vehicles is an
important component for controlling emission
from in-use vehicles irrespective of the state-
of-engine technology and its after-treatment
system. Tail pipe emissions from the vehicles
are monitored to check compliance of
regulatory standard in this regard. The Auto
Emission Testing Centres (AETCs) play an
important role in monitoring emission from
in-use vehicles. These centres issue Pollution-
Under-Control (PUC) certificate if the vehicles
are found to emit exhaust gases complying
with the statutory emission standards. But
most of these centres do not have adequate
equipment for testing – either the equipment
is not calibrated or the centre lacks adequate
qualified manpower.
Considering the problem, the Department of
Transport, Government of West Bengal has
decided on June 4, 2003 that the Auto Emission
Testing Centres of West Bengal will be
technically examined and cleared by the West
Bengal Pollution Control Board before grant
or renewal of licence by the competent
authority. They have also nominated the
authorised officers of the Board to undertake
inspection of these centres.
With regard to the new tail pipe emissions

36 Annual Report 2003-2004


standards coming in effect from 1st October
2004 throughout India, the Transport
Department in consultation with the West
Bengal Pollution Control Board has decided
to upgrade all the Auto Emission Testing
Centres of the state with the following :
l Opacimeters for diesel vehicles with RPM
sensor and lubricating oil temperature
sensor;
l Computer, web-camera, compatible
software, printer and the facility of
connecting the computer with one
Transport Committee of Pollution Control
In December 2003, the Department of
Transport, Government of West Bengal,
appointed a Technical Committee on control
of vehicular pollution, with Dr. S. K. Sarkar,
Member Secretary, WBPCB as the Chairman
and with various experts as its members in
order to :
a) To investigate the possibility of the use of
CNG or coal-based methane as an
alternative fuel for automobiles in the
KMA;
Automobile Pollution
opacimeter, one gas analyser, web-camera
and printer through USB / RS 232 port;
l Gas analysers for petrol vehicles with facility
for testing exhaust gases like CO, CO2, O2
and HC, as soon as the approved equipment
(approved by the Government-of-India-
authorised certifying agency like the
Automotive Research Association of India
etc.) is available in the market.
l Provision for networking among the
AETCs and the Regional Transport
Authorities (RTAs).
b) To indicate tail-emission norms for BS-II
compliance that shall form the basis of
checking Auto-Emission Testing Centres;
and
c) To check and report the methodology to
be used for conversion of ‘in-use’
automobiles for BS-II compliance.
The Committee has submitted its report to
the Department of Transport, Government
of West Bengal in January 2004.
Annual Report 2003-2004 37