The Centre on Thursday told the National Green Tribunal that there was a "misconception" that only diesel pollutes the environment.

"NGT has concluded that diesel vehicles are more polluting than petrol and CNG. Government has submitted that there are various pollutants that cause air pollution from vehicles.

"Diesel may be inferior to petrol in some pollutants such as particulate matters and oxides of nitrogen, but petrol is also inferior to diesel in some other pollutants. Hence, the misconception that only diesel is a polluting technology or fuel," Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand told NGT.

Opposing the ban on 10-year-old diesel vehicles, the Ministry of Heavy Industries told the tribunal that diesel was not the only polluting fuel as they have higher fuel efficiency which leads to 10% -15% lower carbon dioxide emission compared to a petrol vehicle.

 
"Assuming a 10% lower carbon dioxide emission for diesels, diesel passenger vehicles in India's fleet would have saved over 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year, thereby significantly helping in the commitment of reducing the country's emissions intensity per unit GDP by 33% -35% below the 2005 level by 2030 at 21st Conference of Parties at United National Framework Convention on Climate Change," Anand said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/