Despite being fewer in number, the older trucks are responsible for a disproportionate share of pollution. Trucks entering Delhi emit an estimated 52.18 kg of PM2.5 every day. Of this, BS-III trucks emit 17.9 kg, while BS-IV trucks emit 14.47 kg. Together, BS-III and BS-IV trucks account for nearly 62 per cent of total PM2.5 emissions from trucks entering Delhi, even though they represent only 38 per cent of the fleet. In comparison, BS-VI trucks, which make up 62 per cent of trucks entering Delhi, contribute 19.81 kg, or about 38 per cent of the total PM2.5 emission. On average, an older BS-III/BS-IV truck emits about 2.7 times more PM2.5 than a BS-VI truck in the surveyed fleet. While most heavy-duty trucks entering Delhi are already BS-VI compliant, a relatively small share of older BS-III and BS-IV vehicles continues to generate a majority of particulate pollution. By targeting these vehicles first, the government hopes to achieve larger air-quality gains from a smaller section of the commercial fleet.
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