Overview
The primary aim of the Auto Fuel Policy is to formulate measures that will help to reduce auto emissions and improve air quality. Improving air quality, where the health costs resulting from air pollution are considerable, is a compelling objective. A 1995 study (Carter Brandon and Kirsten Homman. 1995. The Cost of Inaction: Valuing the Economy-wide Cost of Environmental Degradation in India, presented at “Modelling Global Sustainability” Conference held at the United Nations University, Tokyo.) for instance, estimated the annual health costs resulting from urban air pollution in 36 cities to be in the range of a low of US $ 517 million (about Rs. 2500 crore) and a high of US $2102 million (about Rs. 10,000 crore). Average of the low and high values for the estimated environmental impacts in the above mentioned study ector wise were as follows: Health impacts of water pollution ($5,710 million, or 59% of the total); agricultural output loss due to soil degradation ($1,942 million, or 2...