but why CNG?

A study says particles emitted by diesel engines can harm the foetus, breaching the safety of the womb. Another study says the risk of developing cancer is four times higher among children travelling in a diesel bus as compared to someone travelling in a car in front of the bus.

Union ministry of surface transport

The Union ministry of surface transport (most) frames vehicular emission norms and notifies certification procedures for vehicles, as per the Central Motors Vehicles Act (cmva). The emission norms for converted cng buses were notified on February 9, 2000, more than one and half years after the sc order of July 28, 1998. That, too, after a great deal of hesitation.

Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas

If the Delhi Transport Corporation and the State Transport Authority do not increase the number of their buses, why should we increase capacity for supply? If I order equipment worth several crore rupees without there being adequate number of buses, how would I answer to my superiors?" Thus Rajiv Sharma, managing director of Indraprastha Gas Limited (igl).

Ministry of Environment and Forests

In complete mockery of its very title, the Union ministry of environment and forests (mef) has shown no interest in pushing for implementation of the cng order despite all the power at its disposal. mef is only too happy with the national emission standards, which are nothing more than the minimum requirement.

Abandoned to fate

Though private bus operators will have to shoulder a bulk of the responsibility of phasing in CNG buses, they were the last to be informed by the Delhi government. The first public notification for them came in October 1999. The first meeting to discuss the logistics with them happened as late as August 2000. Private bus operators chose to ignore repeated messages from the Supreme Court over the last two years and continued to buy diesel buses. Because the state government registering diesel buses, they went ahead with buying new ones.

Delhi government

It has remained confused all along about the cng issue, giving contradictory statements. Delhi government officials have been easy conduits of misleading information from those pro-industry factions that are looking for excuses to not implement the sc order.

Tata Energy Research Institute In service of polluters

It isn't just the ministries that are misinforming the public about cng and ensuring the non-implementation of the Supreme Court order on cng. The Tata Energy Research Institute (teri), a New Delhi-based energy consultancy, has also contributed to such efforts. The teri -industry nexus is strangulating adoption of cng .

Missing the bus

Power play

in 1999, Republican Spencer Abraham of Michigan was one of a handful of senators sponsoring a short-lived proposal to shut down the department of energy. Now Abraham, who lost his Senate re-election bid in November, is President George W Bush's choice to run that department in the face of the nation's worst energy challenges in 20 years.

Will he beat around the bush?

as george w bush heads for the White House, a wave of scepticism greets this former Texas governor. Bush arrives in Washington with a weak public mandate and a divided congress. What that will mean for the environment, is a question that is as riddled as the unending recounts and court cases that preceded his 'victory'. One thing is certain: Bush will not be able to take a hardline stance on any issue, even if he wants to.