The Bharat Stage 6 Emission Norms came into play in India from April 1, 2020. It is considered to be the biggest emission change of the decade. The BS6-compliant vehicles cause much less pollution compared to the BS3 and BS4 ones. In a bid to differentiate Bharat Stage 6 vehicles from other vehicles belonging to older emission standards, the Government of India has come up with a unique idea. The Indian Government has announced that BS6 Compliant Vehicles will feature a new Green Colour sticker on the registration plate from October 1, 2020, and here are some more details about it.
Before we begin, let me give you a brief history of the emission standards of India and also a quick comparo of BS4 vs BS6 pollution levels. So, the emission control history in India can be traced back to the 2000s. The Bharat Stage Emission norms are based on European standards. If we talk from layman's point of view, the first emission system was introduced in the year 2000 with the name 'India 2000'. This BS1 emission norm continued in India from 2001 - 2005, BS2 from 2005 - 2010, BS3 from 2010 - 2017 and BS4 came into effect from April 1, 2017. However, there are some exceptions as major cities of India were running ahead than other parts of the country.
From 2017, the Bharat Stage 4 emission norms came into play in the entire country and due to the alarming pollution levels, especially in the Delhi-NCR area, the Government decided to skip BS5 and switch to BS6 directly from April 1, 2020, and so it happened. We are now getting BS6 petrol and diesel at fuel stations. The BS6 fuel has lower sulphur content compared to BS4 fuel. The sulphur content in BS6 fuel is around five times lower (10ppm) as compared to sulphur content in BS4 fuel (50ppm). Moreover, the Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) level for the BS6 petrol engine and diesel engine has also been brought down by 25 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.
Also Read: Mahindra Cars June 2020 Discounts; Upto Rs 3 Lakh off on Alturas G4
Enough of fuss, talking about the new policy of the Government according to which the BS6 vehicles will now feature a new green sticker. So, the Central Government of India has mandated a 1cm-thick green-coloured strip marking on the existing third registration sticker that will provide registration details in all BS6 compliant motor vehicles. This order has been issued by amending the Motor Vehicles (High-Security Registration Plates) Order, 2018 and will come into effect from October 1, 2020. A notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said, "...Vehicles complying with BS-VI emission norms shall have 1 cm green strip at the top in the third registration plate."
Previously, the government said that from April 1, 2019, all motor vehicles will be fitted with tamper-proof, high-security registration plates (HSRP). This HSRP or third number plate is fitted on the inside of the windshield of each newly manufactured vehicle by the manufacturers. Under the HSRP, a chromium-based hologram is applied by hot stamping on the top left corner of the number plates both at the front and back besides laser-branding of a permanent identification number with a minimum of 10 digits into the reflective sheeting on the bottom left of the registration plate. It also carries the vehicle chassis and engine number for easy identification in case it has tampered or the vehicle gets stolen.
The third number plate will also have colour coding for the fuel used in the vehicle. The colour coding will be done in order to detect polluting vehicles and differentiate them from the non-polluting ones. Currently, the petrol and bi-fuel cars (cars which run on both petrol and CNG) are affixed with a light-blue background third registration sticker while the diesel passenger vehicles get an orange sticker after registration. But, now the BS6 motor vehicles will feature a unique strip of green colour of 1 cm wide on top of the existing third registration sticker regardless of any fuel type. The Governments notification also states that similar type of practise is being followed in some other countries as well. However, it needs to be seen whether the BS6 compliant cars that have already been on sale in India for over a year now will be also getting these green stickers or not.
Also Read: TVS BS6 Scooters: New Price List For Ntorq 125, Jupiter and More!
What are your thoughts on this New Green Sticker Rule on BS6 Compliant Motor Vehicles? Do share with us in the comments below.
