CNG hike bad for environment: Minister
NEW DELHI: The new environment minister, Saurabh Bhardwaj, has slammed the latest price hike in CNG, saying competitive pricing of diesel and CNG will be detrimental to the environment. He also suggested that "vested interests" in the diesel lobby may be behind the sudden hike. In an exclusive interview with TOI, Bhardwaj said the AAP government is trying hard to roll back the hike and has already met some CNG companies.
"The CNG price should have been kept low because it is environment-friendly. Even when CNG was cheaper, many people were not keen on buying it. Now its price has been increased to such an extent that most people will switch to diesel. That will be disastrous for the environment. There are no two ways about it," Bhardwaj said on Monday. He added that an announcement on the CNG issue is likely on Tuesday.
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) also questioned Veerappa Moily's intentions. Moily is the Union minister for petroleum and natural gas. "We would like to ask Mr Moily why he has raised the price of a green fuel without hiking the price of a polluting fuel-diesel? This has almost destroyed the price advantage of CNG over diesel. Who is he protecting, the environment or the ministry?"
CNG now costs Rs 50.1 per kg in Delhi, Rs 56.7 per kg in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad, while diesel is priced at Rs 53.78 per litre. "The mileage given by 1kg of CNG is different from that given by 1l of diesel. Also, you burn more CNG so it needs to be cheaper," said Vivek Chattopadhyaya, a researcher at CSE. "The government does not have a fiscal policy to directly promote CNG use in cities. It should prioritize CNG and have a fuel policy that makes CNG price much less than diesel for required allocation in the transport sector. Another issue is that petrol and diesel may cost the same at refinery but the excise duty on use of diesel by cars is much less. The government incurs revenue losses because of this," added Vivek.
Bhardwaj had a similar view. "I think the government should do something to regulate CNG prices. The Centre should provide subsidies on CNG for the environment, not just for the people." he said.
World Health Organization (WHO) last year classified diesel engine exhaust as a carcinogen-a substance that causes cancer. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) suggested that exposure to diesel exhaust could cause lung cancer and is linked to bladder cancer.
"The CNG price should have been kept low because it is environment-friendly. Even when CNG was cheaper, many people were not keen on buying it. Now its price has been increased to such an extent that most people will switch to diesel. That will be disastrous for the environment. There are no two ways about it," Bhardwaj said on Monday. He added that an announcement on the CNG issue is likely on Tuesday.
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) also questioned Veerappa Moily's intentions. Moily is the Union minister for petroleum and natural gas. "We would like to ask Mr Moily why he has raised the price of a green fuel without hiking the price of a polluting fuel-diesel? This has almost destroyed the price advantage of CNG over diesel. Who is he protecting, the environment or the ministry?"
CNG now costs Rs 50.1 per kg in Delhi, Rs 56.7 per kg in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad, while diesel is priced at Rs 53.78 per litre. "The mileage given by 1kg of CNG is different from that given by 1l of diesel. Also, you burn more CNG so it needs to be cheaper," said Vivek Chattopadhyaya, a researcher at CSE. "The government does not have a fiscal policy to directly promote CNG use in cities. It should prioritize CNG and have a fuel policy that makes CNG price much less than diesel for required allocation in the transport sector. Another issue is that petrol and diesel may cost the same at refinery but the excise duty on use of diesel by cars is much less. The government incurs revenue losses because of this," added Vivek.
Bhardwaj had a similar view. "I think the government should do something to regulate CNG prices. The Centre should provide subsidies on CNG for the environment, not just for the people." he said.
World Health Organization (WHO) last year classified diesel engine exhaust as a carcinogen-a substance that causes cancer. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) suggested that exposure to diesel exhaust could cause lung cancer and is linked to bladder cancer.