Dhaka, Feb 13: The government has introduced Bangladesh-1 and Bangladesh-2 in line with Euro emission norms and adopted a roadmap for improving the air quality of Dhaka and other cities badly afflicted with vehicular pollution.

The newly introduced emission norms will come into effect immediately and will be applicable irrespective of locally produced and imported new and reconditioned vehicles run by petrol, diesel and CNG.

In this regard, necessary amendments have been made in the relevant schedules of Bangladesh Environment Conservation Rules 1997 pertaining to motor vehicles emission that predominantly contribute to city's air pollution.

The roadmap comes with the amendment spells out permissible emission limit and time frames applicable for diesel and other vehicles registered before and after September 2004.

During the emission tests of in-use diesel run buses registered before September 1, 2004, Smoke Capacity value 80 HSU will be accepted up to 31 December 2006.

Smoke Opacity value 70 HSU and 65 HSU will be accepted up to December 31, 2008, and December 31, 2009, respectively.

For diesel run truck and other diesel run vehicles Smoke Opacity value 90, 80 and 65 HSU will e accepted up to 2006, 2008 and 2009 respectively, according to the emission roadmap.

The Smoke Opacity for all in-use naturally aspirated and turbo-charged diesel buses registered after September 2004 has been set for 65 and 72 HSU respectively.

Considering that carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon being the harmful pollutants released from petrol and CNG run vehicles, separate emissions norms has been set irrespective of vehicles registered before and after September 2004.

For ambient air quality, the amendment also comes with permissible limit of various pollutants like carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, SPM, PM10, PM 2.5 ozone and sulphur dioxide.

In line with Euro emission norms Bangladesh-1 and Bangladesh-2 will come in to force immediately for all types of imported and locally produced new and reconditioned diesel, petrol and gas run vehicles.

The government expressed its hopes that all in-use vehicle owners would strictly comply with the new emission norms as set out in the roadmap for greater interest of controlling unabated air pollution predominantly from old, worn out and obsolete technology vehicles plying on the city roads.

Abatement of air pollution is also needed to safeguard public health in our cities, the government hoped.

The government hopes that people from all strata of society will actively cooperate with the concerned agencies entrusted with enforcing new emission norms for ensuring healthy living of our citizens.

Source: http://www.bangladeshjournal.com/index.php?ID=3988