Why we need to look beyond the ‘electric’ smokescreen

GS-III: Why we need to look beyond the ‘electric’ smokescreen

Context

The obsession with electric mobility makes it look as if it is the only solution for India’s transportation problems.

What the government must do instead

Bringing down the fuel import bill.Bringing down air pollution.

Do not push EVs

We still cannot ensure a 24×7 electricity supply to hospitals. All our villages still do not have a reliable electricity supply.
Close to 80% of the electricity generated is from coal and gas. Yet another 50,000MW of coal-fired power plants are being set up under the National Electricity Plan.
More than 20% of all the electricity generated goes into “transmission and distribution losses”.
Most independent power plants operate at 12-15% below their declared capacity as they over-invoice plant costs.
There will be immense pressure on the power grid that is not yet fully reliable.

Other Solution

Air pollution – Construction dust, road dust, thermal power generation, diesel generators, traditional cooking fuels, stubble burning and open waste burning also contribute. Need action against each of these sources.
Dependence on fossil fuels can be cut down not just by banning diesel, but by other more sane and immediate measures. Upgrade to the latest diesel-engine technology in public transport, reduce traffic congestion, ensure adequate power supply and get into diesel blends.
Ban all Bharat Stage 3 (BS3) vehicles and below. At once, close to 40% of all the 300 million vehicles on the roads will be gone. There’s no “vehicle scrappage policy”.
Expand the traffic police strength by four-five times in over-jammed cities.
Create and mandate dedicated parking spots for shared mobility services.
Create vast grids of pedestrian skywalks. Operate multi-level parking lots.

Public transport

Assure top-notch public transport in India’s top 24 cities. A multi-modal grid of trains, buses, taxis, three-wheelers and two-wheelers could achieve this.
Incentivize the manufacture and purchase of public transport vehicles through lower GST and cheaper loans.
Encourage greater use of public transport among citizens through redemption and loyalty programs.
Get all organizations with more than 100 employees to use bus fleets.

Each of these measures would show an immediate impact on vehicle-caused pollution and the use of fossil fuels.

Source: Live Mint

Join Our Telegram

A case against punishing non-compliance of CSR guidelines

Fiscal wheels must also roll in order to make monetary policy effective.

Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a and MASS EXTINCTION

25 Dec, 24
SHARE

Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a from the Paris Basin (Environment) Paper-3 PMP OAE 1a refers to a period during the Cretaceous Period (145 million years ago and ended 66 million years ago) when Earth's oceans became depleted of oxygen, causing a significant disruption in marine life. Cause: The event is believed to have been

Viksit Panchayat Karmayogi (Good governance)

26 Dec, 24
SHARE

Viksit Panchayat Karmayogi (Good governance) Governance GS PAPER-2 PMP Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the ‘Viksit Panchayat Karmayogi’ initiative on Good Governance Day, celebrated to mark the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The initiative, which is part of the broader ‘Prashasan Gaon

Major programmes to control Air Pollution

23 Dec, 24
SHARE

Major programmes to control Air Pollution National Clean Air Programme? It was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in January 2019. It is the first-ever effort in the country to frame a national framework for air quality management with a time-bound reduction target. The

Air pollution and Air quality Measures in India

21 Dec, 24
SHARE

Air pollution and Air quality Measures in India (Environment) GS Paper-3 P-M-P Air pollution may be defined as the presence of any solid, liquid or gaseous substance including noise and radioactive radiation in the atmosphere in such concentration that may be directly and/or indirectly injurious to humans or other l

Geopolitical Significance of Ports

20 Dec, 24
SHARE

Geopolitical Significance of Ports (IR) Act as geopolitical assets: Ports enhance the projection of strategic reach, which helps strengthen the country’s control over important sea and energy supply routes. E.g. Indian Navy’s staging base at Agalega Islands will enable marine patrols