Will Environment Ministry's Petrol Car Tender Undermine Delhi’s Push for Cleaner Vehicles?

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has put out a tender to buy 57 petrol-powered cars, just days after a pollution control body urged all government institutions in the National Capital Region to buy only cleaner-fuel vehicles, according to Mint.

On May 8, the environment ministry floated a tender on the Government e-Marketplace (Gem) portal for 60 cars to be deployed in New Delhi at an estimated cost of Rs 8.4 crore. Of these, 57 are petrol-powered cars – 27 units of Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and 30 units of Maruti Suzuki Dzire. The remaining three vehicles are two Toyota Hycross hybrid cars and one Tata Nexon EV electric car.

The tender was came just a week after the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) issued an advisory on 2 May, urging all government bodies, public sector undertakings and public institutions in the NCR to buy only battery electric vehicles, hybrids or CNG-powered vehicles.

Contradiction in Pollution Efforts

The CAQM emphasised the need for cleaner mobility due to the high vehicular traffic in Delhi-NCR. It called for government agencies to lead the way in adopting cleaner vehicles and mandated that all future purchases, leases, or hires of vehicles be limited to EVs or cleaner alternatives.

This move by the Ministry of Environment contradicts recent efforts to tackle pollution in Delhi. The city has introduced measures, such as construction bans and flight disruptions during the winter months, to curb air quality levels. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has also pointed out that burning fossil fuels like petrol and diesel are contributing to climate change.

The buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases like methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) is causing the Earth’s atmosphere to warm, resulting in climate changes we are already beginning to see.

The environment ministry’s decision comes as state governments push policies to increase EV adoption, with the central government aiming for 30% of cars on the road to be EVs by 2030.