Indian Railways Obsession with Electrification Harming Public Health

The Indian Railways (IR), which has launched a much-publicized campaign to “go Green” by 2030. Its largest initiative is 100% electrification of the rail lines, but they fail to mention that over 70% of the country’s electricity is from coal-fired power plants contributing to greenhouse gases. Despite heavy investment, IR also maintains a fleet of over 5,000 diesel locomotives and has meanwhile resisted upgrading to the latest emissions technologies which would significantly reduce pollution.

March 04, 2021. By News Bureau

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In north India the stubble burning season causes a lot of issues year on year, a portend of the toxic levels of air pollution that mark winters in the region. The problem is urgent because not only New Delhi, but also some of the most polluted cities in the world are in this region. A recent study by the Energy Policy Institute at University of Chicago (EPIC) demonstrated that pollution is a bigger killer than the coronavirus. 660 million citizens are living in areas where air pollution exceeds the national standards. Residents in Delhi on average will lose nine years of life due to the particulate pollution exceeding the WHO standards. We do not have decisive solutions on tackling air pollution but, ironically, even when we do there is little attempt to implement the solutions.

Take, for instance, the Indian Railways (IR), which has launched a much-publicized campaign to “go Green” by 2030. Its largest initiative is 100% electrification of the rail lines, but they fail to mention that over 70% of the country’s electricity is from coal-fired power plants contributing to greenhouse gases. Despite heavy investment, IR also maintains a fleet of over 5,000 diesel locomotives and has meanwhile resisted upgrading to the latest emissions technologies which would significantly reduce pollution immediately—a great need in the country. So why aren’t they willing to do that? Why are they are willing to invest billions of dollars on electrification, which does not necessarily give the result you want from the clean air perspective but not upgrading their diesels?

Pollution norms

Three years ago, in 2017, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to finalize guidelines detailing locomotive standards for the Indian Railways. It had also directed that the guidelines containing locomotive standards be uploaded on the CPCB website and efforts are made by all stakeholders to approve the final parameters for locomotive engines. CPCB produced an interim report, “Exhaust Emissions Benchmarks for Diesel Locomotives on Indian Railways”, which aims to fix standards and protocols for the sector to achieve the targets India pledged under the Paris climate change agreement.

Unlike in India, since the 2000s regulators in the United States and Europe have established stringent diesel locomotive emissions norms and the technology is available. These technologies are available to Indian Railways as well. But despite well-established international standards, proven technology, extensive studies by RITES Limited and CPCB’s formation of a standing committee of experts to propose the emissions norms, the GSR for diesel locomotive emissions has yet to be released and signed into law. And that is where matters stand, even though more than three years have passed the standards have still not been finalized.

The NOx factor

On the other hand, given the inordinate delay on a critical matter of public health, there is something amiss. In fact, it may come as a revelation to many that the CBCB recently has recommended diluting some of the levels of pollution control! This flies in the face of rationality, expert recommendations and, in fact, demeans the environmental priorities of the country.

Despite its mandate to improve air quality and protect the health of citizens, CPCB has proposed diluted NOx parameters for locomotive emissions. NOx contributes toward PM2.5, causes adverse effects to the lungs and is the source of serious disease. Forms of NOx also deplete ozone in the atmosphere, creates acid rain, and causes nutrient pollution.

The pollution regulator has oddly aligned with the desires of Indian Railways on the regulation of locomotive emissions and specifically diluted NOx standards. Meanwhile, CPCB’s latest proposal directly opposes the National Clean Air Programme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MOEFCC). It appears that there is a conflict in terms of what the CPCB and the Railways are saying publicly and what is actually being done behind closed doors.

Special interest being served

The inaction seems to suggest that the Indian Railways is seeking to escape any material emissions regulations for its locomotives. It has sought to delay and dilute the emissions norms and proposed the implementation of standards that would utilize 20-year old technology. It is focused on electrification to solve the issue of locomotive emissions. Yet, it is also discovering that electrification is a far more expensive proposition than it had believed. It is also not “green” as being made out by its votaries. But it continues to push despite “economic and technical” non-viability of the electrification project. It leads to a keener question: why are Indian Railways pushing for expensive electrification, but not willing to push for much cheaper and diesel emissions technology? Whose interest is being served?

- Shekhar Tiwari, Founder, US-India Security Forum

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