A step in the right direction in combating air pollution

Vehicle emission test:

By Indeewara Thilakarathne

[email protected]

One of the adverse effects of urbanization is pollution. The concentration of population in and around metropolitans and vehicles carrying thousands of commuters, who travel into the city on almost daily basis, has not only exhausted its existing road networks but also contributed making cities pollution zones.

Apart from the individual vehicles that transport passengers, a large number of heavy vehicles such as trucks and container- loaded long vehicles have also contributed to the present level of air pollution in the city of Colombo which is estimated to be three times higher than the accepted level of air pollution according to WHO standards.

The gathering of data pertaining to Vehicle Emission Test Project has been conducted since 1997. The objectives of these researches, was to introduce new Sri Lankan standards on air pollution.

A baseline survey has been conducted for couple of years in this regard and this was to be implemented in year 2000. However, due to various constraints it has not been implemented resulting in an increase in respiratory diseases in Colombo.

So we implemented the project step by step. One measure that the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has taken was to reduce sulphur content in petroleum products including kerosene.

We instructed the IOC (Indian Oil Company) and Petroleum Corporation to bring the sulphur content in petroleum products to international standards and they readily complied with our request.

Next step was to impose a ceiling on the importation of used vehicles. We made it mandatory that all used vehicles which are to be imported into the country should be less than two and half years old.

This regulation came into effect from January this year,” said Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Patali Champika Ranawaka on the new regulation introduced to combat air pollution.

We also stopped importing two stroke vehicles from January and allowed only four stroke vehicles to be imported into the country. We hope that two stroke vehicles will phase out by 2011.

We also submitted a cabinet paper granting incentives to promote conversion of petrol and diesel vehicles into gas and introduce zero-emission vehicles (battery powered vehicles), hybrid vehicles (battery + fuel).

It has been found out that carbon emission in gas-converted vehicles is 50% lower than diesel vehicles in addition cost incurred per kilometre which is nine rupees for gas-converted vehicle while it is fifteen rupees per kilometre for diesel and petrol vehicles.

We have also presented a policy on vehicles. The Government has accepted in principle the policy and we will present practical measures with regard to vehicle policy. There are only 2 million of vehicles compared to 20 million population.

The objective of this regulation is to protect the people from air pollution. We will implement the vehicle policy in order to address wide range of issues including global warming and environment pollution and oil crisis,” stated Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka on the measures that would be introduced to combat air pollution.

According to Minister Champaka Ranawaka, the Ministry has conducted a pilot project last year to explore the possibilities of shifting Sri Lanka’s energy drive toward green energies such as bio-diesel. Large scale project will be implemented next month.

Environmental Debt

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has, for the first time in the world, introduced the concept of Environmental debt. Climate change is caused by increasing emission of carbon and there is a carbon budget for this century.

If the carbon emission would go beyond 450 units per million that will lead to an environmental disaster. We are in 390 units and before the industrial era, it was 275 units. For this year, environmentally permissible level of carbon emission per person is 2110 kg and in Sri Lanka, it is 600 kg and in US it is 24,000 kg.

So they have used more than our share of emission and we asked them to pay the environment debt,” said Minister Champika Ranawaka explaining the concept of environment debt.

In order to facilitate adaption to impending climatic changes and resultant disasters such as Tsunami, effect to biodiversity including creation of invasive species, wet-born diseases, increasing vaporization which adversely affect agriculture and precipitation of climate such as heavy rains, proposal was made to set up an Adaptation Fund. Though the proposal has been accepted, sufficient funds have not yet been received to set up the found.

Climate Change Secretariat

For the first time in Sri Lanka, Secretariat for Climate Change has been set up on the advice of Prof. Mohan Munasinghe. The Secretariat will gather vital data from diverse stakeholders such as Department of Metrology, Department of Agriculture and Department of Plantation in addition to data gathered from diverse parts of the country.

The Secretariat would put the gathered data into a model and predict future scenarios with regard to climate change and how it affects different places and what are the measures that would be taken to mitigate the effect.

Carbon fund and SAARC Carbon Cartel

Carbon fund has been set up, for the first time in Asia, to facilitate carbon trading. Minister Champika Ranawaka pointed out that Kyoto Protocol is the main international agreement with regard to climate change. The process of obtaining carbon credit is a very cumbersome and costly and the outcome depends on the staying power of countries.

“Government has taken up the task and formulates the carbon fund. It should be mentioned here that we have been able to set up the fund within one year though it has been attempted since 1997.

We also proposed forming a carbon cartel in the SAARC region as 48 per cent of environmental debt is owned by the region. So that G8 or nobody could use carbon without the knowledge of the cartel,” said Minister Champika Ranawaka on international and regional measure.

In order to reduce total dependency on fossil fuels, the Ministry has proposed to plant trees that can be used to produce bio-fuel and produce dendro power and also to use other alternative energy for power generation. For instance, the electricity for Sobha 2008 exhibition was generated by dendro power. Dendro power is the method of power generation by using thermal properties of some wood to steam water and produce electricity.

Speaking on the garbage disposal issues, Minister Champika Ranawaka said the biggest hurdle in finding a solution for the problem is that the garbage is a matter vested with local government bodies and garbage has become a racket.

Another issue is fake political campaigns and indiscriminate urbanization without any zoning system which has resulted in setting up industries amid of residential areas. However, zoning system has been introduced to emerging cities such as Trincomalee and Hambantota.

Other measures towards a clean environment

The Ministry of Environment has also introduced a host of measures towards creating a clean environment. It hopes to introduce Environmental Protection License for, at least, fifty per cent of industries in Sri Lanka.

For the first time in the region, Sri Lanka has introduced an Environmental Conservation Levy which makes use of market mechanism to change consumer behaviour encouraging consumers to purchase environment friendly goods and especially bio-degradable packaging material instead of plastic and other non-degradable packaging materials.

E-waste programme was also included in the programme. Other programmes include Harita Gammana, Piyakaru Purawara, Wana Senasun, Jeeva Javaya, Randerana and Gaja Mituro to conserve elephants. Minister Champika Ranawaka pointed out that Ministry has destroyed the cartel in distributing sand for construction and was able to fix a reasonable price for sand. Complaints can be made by using the hotline 1991.

Vehicle Emission Test at a glance

* Vehicle Emission Test came into effect on July 15, 2008.

* Vehicles which do not comply with the environment standards will not be issued revenue license.

* To obtain an emission test certificate will cost less than 500 rupees for small vehicle while bigger ones will be charged 500 - 1,000 rupees.

* A Vehicle Emission Testing Centre will set up near Fort Railway Station.

* Four new testing centres will be set up by the end of this year at a cost of Rs. 88 million which will be to purchase related equipment for testing.

* Government has commissioned two private companies Clean Co Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and Laugfs Eco Sri (Pvt) Ltd. to conduct Vehicle Emission Test aimed at creating an air pollution-free environment.

* The two companies will have testing equipment and set up 56 fixed and mobile testing stations countrywide including the North and East.

Vehicle emissions contain carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons which contribute to the formation of photochemical smog, acid deposition and increase CO levels in the atmosphere.

These pollutants cause respiratory problems, increase toxicity and mortality.

The level of pollution is higher in urban areas where vehicle concentration is very high.

* Prior to a testing of a vehicle, the vehicle must be in working temperature for 20 minutes. Gas emission is test when the vehicle is accelerated and the transparency level of the emission which is measured by K factor should be 8K for Diesel Vehicles while it is 6K for tricycle and bicycles and 4.5 K for other petrol vehicles. (The K factor is measured by degree of light transparency through vehicle emission)