Lok Sabha Question No. 5365 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-03
Subject: Impact of Road Transport on Environment
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Smt. Rachna Banerjee

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5365 ANSWERED ON 3 RD  APRIL, 2025

## IMPACT OF ROAD TRANSPORT ON ENVIRONMENT

5365. SMT. RACHNA BANERJEE

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps being taken by the Government to reduce the environmental impact of road transport especially in terms of carbon emissions and air pollution from vehicles;
- (b)  the  policies  that  are  being  implemented  to  reduce  the  noise pollution caused by road traffic, particularly in residential and sensitive areas;
- (c)  the  manner  in  which  the  Government  plan  to  integrate  green corridors and eco-friendly materials in highway and road construction projects; and
- (d)  the  measures  being  taken  to  preserve  natural  habitats  and ecosystems during the construction of highways, especially in ecologically sensitive areas?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a) 1. Government in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has taken the following key initiatives :
- (i)  Notified  Bharat  Stage  (BS)  VI  Emission  limits  including  use  of alternative fuels vide G.S.R 889 dated 16.09.2016 to reduce pollutants
- from motor vehicles. (ii)  Notified E20 as a Mono fuel vide G.S.R 27 (E), dated 5th January, 2024 for all category of vehicles. (iii) Notified Hydrogen as a fuel vide GSR 885(E) dated 16th December 2022 for ICE BS-IV vehicles. (iv)  Notified  the  Vehicle  Scrapping  Policy  vide  G.S.R  720  dated  5th October  2021  to  phase  out  older,  unfit  polluting  vehicles  under  the framework of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989. (v) Mandated the fitment of FASTAG to all M and N category vehicles vide G.S.R 1361 dated 2 nd  November 2017 to reduce idling time at toll plazas, cutting fuel consumption and emissions. 2. Government  has taken following initiatives to promote adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the country: (i) Notification issued vide S.O. 5333(E) dated the 18th October, 2018 to grant exemption from the requirements of the permit to the battery operated transport vehicles. (ii)  Notification issued vide G.S.R. 525(E) dated the 2nd August, 2021 to grant exemption of Battery Operated Vehicles from payment of fees for  the  purpose  of  issue  or  renewal  of  registration  certificate  and assignment of new registration mark. (iii) Notification issued vide G.S.R. 302(E) dated the 18th April, 2023 to grant  All  India  Tourist  Permit  for  battery-operated  vehicles  without payment of permit fee. (iv) Notification issued vide G.S.R. 167(E) dated the 1st March, 2019 to facilitate  retro-fitment  of  hybrid  electric  system  or  electric  kit  to vehicles. (v)  Notification  issued  vide  G.S.R.  749(E)  dated  the  7th  August  2018 enabling  registration  mark  of  Battery  Operated  Vehicles  in  Yellow colour on Green background for the transport vehicles and for all other cases, in White colour on Green background. (vi) Further, an advisory dated 12th August 2020 has been issued to all States and UTs regarding sale and registration of two-wheeled Electric
- Vehicles without batteries.
- 3.The Government in the Ministry of Heavy Industries has formulated the  following  Schemes  to  incentivise  and  promote  adaptation  of Electric Vehicles:
- (i)  PM  Electric  Drive  Revolution  in  Innovative  Vehicle  Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme: PM E-DRIVE Scheme has been notified on 29th September  2024  for  promotion  of  electric  mobility  and  to  reduce dependence of fossil fuels in the country. The scheme has an outlay of ₹10,900 Crore over a period of two years from 01.04.2024 to 31.03.2026.  The  Electric  Mobility  Promotion  Scheme  (EMPS)  2024 implemented for the period of 06 months, from 01.04.2024 to 30.09.2024, is subsumed in the PM E-DRIVE scheme. This scheme aims to  incentivise  sale  of  e-2W,  e-3W,  e-Trucks,  e-Ambulances,  and  ebuses. The scheme also supports development of charging infrastructure and upgradation of vehicle testing agencies.
- (ii)  Production  Linked  Incentive  Scheme  for  Automobile  and  Auto Component Industry (PLI-Auto): Government on 15th September 2021 approved PLI-Auto Scheme, for enhancing  manufacturing capabilities for Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT) products with a budgetary outlay of ₹25,938 Crore.
- (iii)  Production  Linked  Incentive  (PLI)  Scheme  for  manufacturing Advanced  Chemistry  Cells  (ACC):  Government  on  12th  May,  2021 approved  PLI-ACC  in  order  to  promote  manufacturing  of  ACC  in  the country  with  a  budgetary  outlay  of  ₹18,100  Crore.  The  scheme envisages to establish a cumulative ACC  battery  manufacturing capacity of 50 GWh.
- (iv) Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME)  scheme  Phase-II  (FAME-II):  FAME-II  was  implemented  for  a period  of  5  years  with  effect  from  01st  April,  2019  with  a  total budgetary support of ₹11,500 Crore. Under FAME-II, Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP) was introduced with the objective of domestic  manufacturing  of  electric  vehicles,  its  assemblies/  subassemblies and parts/sub-parts thereby increasing the domestic value addition.
- (v) PM e-Bus Sewa-Payment Security Mechanism (PSM) Scheme: This Scheme  notified  on  28th  October  2024,  has  an  outlay  of  ₹3,435.33 Crore  and  aims  to  support  deployment  of  more  than  38,000  electric buses. The objective of scheme is to provide payment security to ebus operators in case of default by Public Transport Authorities (PTAs).
- (vi) Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI): This scheme was notified on 15th March 2024 to promote  the  manufacturing  of  electric  cars  in  the  country.  This scheme requires applicants to invest a minimum of ₹4150 Crore and to achieve a minimum Domestic Value Addition (DVA) of 25% at the end of the third year and DVA of 50% at the end of the fifth year.
4. Government  in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has been promoting the blending of ethanol in petrol under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme with multiple objectives.As a green fuel,ethanol  supports  the  environmental  sustainability  efforts  of  the government. It reduces import dependence on crude oil, saves foreign exchange and promotes the domestic agriculture sector.

Interventions  by  the  Government  have  led  to  an  increase  in ethanol  blending  with  petrol  from  38  crore  litres  in  Ethanol  Supply Year  (ESY) 2013-14 to 707  crore litres in  ESY  2023-24,with  a corresponding increase in blending percentage from 1.53 % to 14.60 %.The EBP programme has resulted in a net CO2 reduction of about 626 lakh metric tonnes from ESY 2014-15 upto January 2025.

5.    Government  through  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  has taken the following measures:
- i. Government has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 as a national level strategy to reduce air pollution levels across the country. NCAP  targets  to achieve reduction in Particulate  Matter  level  up  to  40%  or  achievement  of  national standards (60 µg/m 3 ) by 2025-26.
- ii. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has identified 130 million plus and non-attainment cities (cities exceeding National Ambient  Air  Quality  Standards  (NAAQS),  consecutively  for  five years). City Specific Clean Air Action Plans have been prepared and rolled out for implementation in these 130 nonattainment/million plus cities to improve the air quality.
- iii. These city specific clean air action plans target city specific air polluting sources like Soil & Road Dust, Vehicles, Domestic Fuel, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Burning, Construction Material and Industries with short-term priority action as well as those to be

implemented  in  a  medium  to  longer  time  frame  along  with  the responsible agencies.

- (b)  The  policies  that  are  implemented  to  reduce  the  noise  pollution caused by road traffic, particularly in residential and sensitive areas are as follows:
- (i)The Government is installing noise barrier for the stretches passing through residential,  educational,  hospitals  and  sensitive  areas  as per IRC:SP:130-2022  -  Guidelines  on  Design  and  Installation  of  Noise Barriers for roads and  also provide vegetative barrier wherever land available for avenue plantation as per IRC SP 21 2009.

Further,  there  is  provision  of  noise  barrier  on  underpasses, elevated  corridor,  viaduct,etc  and  their  slopes  for  the  stretches Conservation passing through National Park, Sanctuary and Reserve,Animal Corridor,etc.

Further  the  Government  has  mandated  noise  limits  for  all categories  of  motor  vehicles  under  Rule  120  of  the  Central  Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

- (ii) Government  in Ministry of Environment,Forest and Climate Change has notified Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.

As  per  rule  3(3)  of  Noise  Pollution  (Regulation  and  Control)  Rules, 2000,  the  State  Government  shall  take  measures  for  abatement  of noise including noise emanating from vehicular movements, [blowing of  horns,  bursting  of  sound  emitting  fire  crackers,  use  of  loud speakers or public address system and sound producing instruments] and ensure that the existing noise levels do not exceed the ambient air quality standards specified under these rules.

As  per  rule  3(4)  of  Noise  Pollution  (Regulation  and  Control)  Rules, 2000, all development authorities, local bodies and other concerned authorities  while  planning  developmental  activity  or  carrying  out functions  relating  to  town  and  country  planning  shall  take  into consideration all aspects of noise pollution as a parameter of quality of  life  to  avoid  noise  menace  and  to  achieve  the  objective  of maintaining the ambient air quality standards in respect of noise.

(c) Based on international best practices and outcome of indigenous research,  new  standards/guidelines  are  framed  by  Indian  Roads Congress (IRC) and existing standards/guidelines of IRC are amended from time to time to facilitate use of such materials and technology. Government  in  Ministry  of  Road  Transport  &  Highways   have  also issued policy guidelines on use of such eco-friendly materials/processes.  National  Highway  (NH)  Projects  are  generally implemented on EPC/HAM/BOT mode where contractor/concessionaire  prepare  their  own  design  in  accordance with applicable standards/guidelines/codes, etc.,which are reviewed/ approved by Authority's Engineer/Independent Engineer (AE/IE) before its actual use in a NH project. Various  kinds  of  eco-friendly  green  and  sustainable  materials such as fly ash, slag, construction & demolition waste, waste plastic, crumb rubber modified bitumen, geosynthetics including jute & coir, ground granulated  blast  furnace  slag,  etc.  are  used  in  different  NH projects depending upon availability and feasibility of use. (d)  The  Government aims for adherence to sustainable principles for projects  that  are  located  in  or  around  the  protected  areas.  The  site and  species  specific  mitigation  measures  are  adopted  for the  safe passage  of  animals  and  for conservation  of  habitat  &  ecology.The Government  builds  structures  like  underpasses,  eco-duct,  viaduct, elevated corridor, tunnel, cut-&-cover, guard wall, noise &light barrier, fencing,etc in consultation with State Government within Right of Way (RoW). Further, funds are provided for implementation of site mitigation  measures  like  building  of  watch  tower,  rescue  van,  solar pump, ponds, soil & water conservation measures (away from RoW) in various corridors passing through protected areas or its Eco-Sensitive Zone as per topography, landscape, species, population etc.

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