Hyderabad (Telangana): It is true that the Industrial Revolution, which spurred development around the world — also damaged the environment due to pollution, and caused global warming and natural disasters. Though the Paris Agreement vowed to protect mankind from the global warning saying that 'we have only one earth' and let's save it, an effective combined action plan looks like a mirage. In this background the initiative of the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is praiseworthy! Proposing a broader campaign in the name of the 'UK Green Industrial Revolution', Prime Minister Johnson plans to ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 as part of a nearly Rs. 1.2 lakh crore Green Plan. To encourage pollution-free vehicles a fund of 58.2 crore pounds, and to establish extensively battery charging points for the electric vehicles a fund of 130 crore pounds has been set apart.
Where is the combined action plan?
The British government, which has decided to ban petrol and diesel vehicles with the approval of the manufacturers and vendors, has allocated resources for the development of electric vehicle batteries over the next four years. Great Britain is gearing up to develop technology that will generate power from wind, nuclear, hydrogen and cushion the transport sector with electric vehicles; and also to develop pollution-free aircraft and ships. It also plans to develop the technology by 2030 that could capture one crore tonnes of harmful carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store safely. Until five years ago diesel cars were trendy in the European market. It is noteworthy that out of every four cars sold last month one was either a hybrid or an electric. Joint action is needed today to make that change effective.
Indian scenario….
Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi said two years back that clean energy is a powerful tool in the fight against climate change, there is no sign of a shift to electrical vehicles in the automotive sector. The KPMG-CII study, which estimates that electric-powered two-wheelers will make up 25-35 per cent and three-wheelers 65-75 per cent in India by 2030, recently reported that electric buses will be limited to 10-12 per cent. The suggestion that the central and state governments should work in unison to create a positive climate for the population to shift towards electric vehicles is very valuable. In the next ten years, if only at least 30 per cent of private cars, 70 per cent of commercial vehicles, 40 per cent of buses and 80 per cent of two-wheelers are electrified, the domestic transport sector will be able to stand the test of time. Studies reveal that by switching to electric vehicles developing countries like India could save up to $25 thousand crores a year.
In search of alternatives....
Lithium and cobalt, the most important ingredients of electric batteries, are available only in a few countries. China, which has already bought mines in the Congo, Bolivia, Chile and Australia, enjoys a 60 per cent share of that market. In this context, India should also be the catalyst for on-going research into better alternatives to lithium-ion batteries. In addition to supporting start-ups in the field of electric vehicles, India, which has teamed up in a 'quad' with the United States, Japan, and Australia, should move forward hand in hand with them with a give and take approach. Since ten states, including Telangana, AP and Delhi, have come up with electric vehicle policies, if the centre also draws a comprehensive action plan at the national level the menace of pollution can be brought under control in India.
