Govt turns heat on manufacturers

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Anti-Pollution Panel Wants More Private Cars To Run On CNG </span><br /><br />NEW DELHI: Plying on CNG cuts down your fuel cost to half as compared to petrol. Yet, the CNG movement hasn''t really caught on when it comes to private cars. Reason being, the various hurdles faced by car owners if they want to go in for conversion.<br /><br />Now the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) has turned the heat on car manufacturers, stressing on their plans to introduce CNG dedicated cars.<br /><br />EPCA was set up by the Supreme Court, to monitor the pollution levels in Delhi.And though Delhi has the largest CNG bus fleet in the world, number of private cars running on CNG are dismal. According to figures with the Indraprastha Gas Limited, there are just about 10,000 private cars running on CNG, a fraction of Delhi''s total of 36 lakh vehicles.<br /><br />"Countries like Pakistan and Argentina have predominant numbers of cars running on CNG. Now, even China is going in for a major CNG programme," said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, co-ordinator of Right to Clean Air campaign with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). US, Brazil, Italy are also in the reckoning. ECPA has taken strong note of the fact that car companies have not taken proactive steps to encourage car buyers in this respect. <br /><br />EPCA chairman, Bhure Lal, has now shot off a letter to all car manufacturers including Maruti Udyog, Hyundai Motor India, Hindustan Motors, General Motors, Ford India, Tata, Toyota, Skoda Auto India and Fiat demanding information, about plans for introducing dedicated CNG cars. Manufacturers have also been asked to provide list of kit manufacturer/supplier approved by them and details of the warranty provision for converted/retrofitted cars.<br /><br />Car manufacturers have been given two weeks'' time to furnish this information barring which "EPCA would be forced to take the extreme step of recommending registration of CNG private passenger cars only in Delhi," the letter stated.<br /><br />As of now, it is a trying process for anybody wanting to convert his or her car to CNG. For one, if a customer converts a new car (within warranty period) to CNG mode, the company does not honour the warranty. <br /><br />Moreover, only one company is giving the option of getting the car retrofitted with CNG kit at the time of purchase. "But that too is limited to one car model," Bhure Lal noted.<br /><br />As of now, it costs Rs 40,000 to get a CNG kit fitted. But, there are only a handful of companies authorised by the government for this. Also, the awareness about existing firms is minimal.</div> </div>