Emissions from trucks contribute to 61% during early morning & night hours, says study

New Delhi: A new study on interstate truck emissions and freight movement patterns in the capital has revealed that nearly 16,900 heavy-duty trucks enter Delhi daily, contributing 23% of its everyday transport emissions, with this share shooting up to 61% at night and early morning.The study, ‘Towards Cleaner Freight in Delhi: Assessing Interstate Truck Emissions and Mitigation Strategies’, released on Monday was conducted by Air Pollution Action Group (A-PAG), IIT-Delhi and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).It is based on data collected from 25 toll plazas in and around Delhi using RFID records, traffic volume counts, interviews of over 4,000 truck drivers, axle-load surveys and real-world emissions testing using Versatile Source Sampling System, an in-house portable emissions monitoring system.According to the study, interstate trucks emit roughly 52 kg of PM2.5, 3 tonnes of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 2.5 tonnes of carbon monoxide as primary pollutants each day. It found that phasing out pre-BS-VI trucks by 2027 could reduce PM2.5 emissions from interstate trucks by 51%.Since the transport sector contributes 18% to 24% of PM2.5 concentrations in Delhi, freight vehicles, particularly heavy trucks, account for a disproportionate share of emissions due to the use of diesel, ageing fleet profiles and high operational intensity.

“Around 75% of interstate heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) operate in Delhi from 10 pm to 7 am. Cars and other passenger vehicles account for only 18% of their daily volume during this period,” according to the report.It added that around 51% of trucks report exiting Delhi empty, either because it is a “consumption hub” or owing to operational inefficiencies. Four toll plazas — Kundli, Rajokri, Badarpur and Tikri — account for nearly half of all trucks entering the city.During the launch of the report, a presentation by A-PAG, a non-profit organisation, said HDVs comprise only 3% of the total vehicle fleet in the country, but contribute up to 53% of the transport sector’s particulate matter nationally.Rahul Goel, associate professor at Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Centre, IIT-Delhi, said, “This study captures what trucks actually emit on Delhi’s roads, not just under test conditions.”The report outlined seven mitigation strategies in a time-bound manner: shifting to electric trucks, banning the entry of pre-BS VI trucks in Delhi, phasing out trucks based on fitness criteria, stricter enforcement via ANPR and payload sensors, reducing the number of trips by optimising empty backhauls, decreasing freight trips due to urban consolidation centres and retrofitting pre-BS-VI trucks with particulate matter and NOx control.Anju Goel, associate director, TERI, said the majority of trucks entering Delhi originate from and return to NCR states, meaning the capital alone cannot solve this problem. “Policymakers at both the central and state levels need to align on a common, data-backed roadmap,” she said.Mahmood Ahmed, additional secretary, ministry of road transport and highways, said this report “enables us to focus on the key areas that require attention and helps us identify which measures are of immediate importance and which are long-term priorities”.Virinder Sharma, member technical, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), said out of the mitigation strategies mentioned in the report, work on four has started.