BHUBANESWAR: Can the same vehicle generate two different sets of pollution check certificates? No. But it’s apparently happening at the pollution testing centres of Bhubaneswar.
Even as Odisha Government gears up for enforcement of the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act 2019 from December 1 after a three-month relaxation, some pollution under control (PUC) testing centres are giving separate results.
In one such incident, a Royal Enfield Classic 350 owner, Satyasiba Barik visited an auto emission testing centre near Jayadev Vihar and was shocked to find out that his vehicle failed the test. His bike has a Bharat Stage 4 (BS4) engine.
To Barik’s utter shock, the carbon monoxide (CO) reading of his two-wheeler stood at 4.74 parts per million (PPM) which is way beyond the permissible limits, while the hydrocarbon (HC) reading was 207.0 respirable particulate matter (RPM).
According to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, the prescribed standard for CO at idling BS4 two-wheeler engine is 3.0 PPM and for HC, it is 3000.0 RPM.
This meant Barik’s vehicle failed the test.
Unconvinced, Barik then visited another pollution testing centre near Nayapalli and to his surprise, the two-wheeler passed the test comfortably. His Royal Enfield Bullet’s CO reading stood at 0.179 PPM and HC score was 260.0 RPM, much below the prescribed limit.
“I purchased my two-wheeler in May 2017, and carry out maintenance regularly. I recently serviced my two-wheeler and paid Rs 10,000, it is hard to believe that the vehicle did not pass the pollution test,” Barik said.
When he visited the pollution testing centre near Jaydev Vihar again and complained about the misreadings, they were willing to refund the fee of Rs 60 but wanted the certificate back. “I refused and will now write to Transport Commissioner in this regard,” Barik said.
A PUC counter manager claimed that many auto emission testing centres in the city are not able to provide correct pollution certificates to BS4 petrol engine four-wheelers as they have not upgraded their test equipment.
Instead, what they hand out is an inaccurate reading to the customers.
“I purchased the petrol and diesel vehicle reading machines about five years back. However, the machines required upgradation after BS4 engines were launched. I upgraded the diesel reading machine by spending Rs 1.12 lakh but the equipment required to upgrade the petrol reading machine is not available now,” he added.
He further said the machines which are not upgraded will either not give any reading or provide incorrect readings to the customers.
A Rasulgarh native said he went to a pollution testing centre near Satsang Vihar to obtain a certificate for his four-wheeler but the persons managing the facility returned him saying that they are not issuing certificates for BS4 petrol engine four-wheelers.
Meanwhile, the RTO officials are clueless about such readings.
They claimed that the PUCs are providing tests for both BS III and BS IV four-wheelers. The prescribed CO for BS4 petrol engine four-wheeler is 0.3 PPM and prescribed standard HC is 200.0 RPM.