Vehicular Pollution in Indian Cities : Measures to Control Emissions

Contents: Preface. Acknowledgements. I. Introduction: 1. Vehicular air pollution -- an overview. 2. Major pollutant emissions from vehicles. 3. Health effects of air and vehicular pollutants. II. Technology and fuels: 4. Vehicle technology and emissions. 5. Exhaust after treatment technologies. 6. Characteristics of gasoline and diesel fuels affecting emissions. 7. Alternative transportation fuels - CNG and LPG. 8. Other alternate fuels -- Bio Fuels, Methanol, Hydrogen and Dimethyl Ether. 9. Alternate propulsion systems -- electric, electric hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. III. Regulations: 10. Emission standards and regulations. 11. Emission measurement and testing procedures. 12. Controlling emissions from in-use vehicles -- inspection and maintenance programmes. IV. Economic and other measures: 13. Economic measures in abating vehicular emissions. 14. Congestion pricing to reduce vehicular emissions. 15. Traffic management measures to control vehicular emissions. 16. Public transport policies affecting vehicular emissions. V. Climate change and global warming: 17. Vehicular emissions and global warming.

"Deteriorating air quality is a major environmental problem in most of the Indian cities. Economic growth has triggered a boom in the number and use of motor vehicles in India. Owing to their rapidly increasing numbers and very limited use of emission control technologies, motor vehicles are emerging as the largest source of urban air pollution and are responsible for about 70% of the air pollution loads in most of the Indian cities. There is a general perception that the incidence of disease and premature deaths caused by vehicular pollution is on the rise in most of the Indian cities. There is an urgent need to control vehicular pollution in most of the Indian cities. During the last few years, vehicular pollution is attracting the attention from policy makers, judiciary including Supreme Court of India, research institutions, non-governmental organizations and trade associations in India.

Strategies to reduce vehicle pollution generally require technical, regulatory, economic, and other measures. This book is a result of research study, not only from Indian perspective, but also from the perspective of experiences and knowledge generated within other countries. The overall objective is to identify the measures for promoting transport development that is environmentally sustainable and least damaging to human health and welfare.

With its in-depth coverage of several issues relating to vehicular pollution, the book will be of immense value to policy makers, technical audiences and citizens groups. It will be of immense reference value to graduate, post-graduate and doctoral students in the areas of engineering, energy and environment." (jacket)