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Pharmaceutical Sciences Oration-2023: ‘EVs using coal-generated power don’t serve purpose’
He was speaking on the sidelines of “The Panjab University Pharmaceutical Sciences Oration-2023” on the theme “Green chemistry, sustainability and need of the pharma industry” which was held at law auditorium in PU on Thursday
Adopting electric vehicles (EVs) serves no purpose if the power obtained to run it is generated through carbon processes such as burning of coal, said Padma Shri awardee GD Yadav who is on the national science chair, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), department of science and technology, Government of India, during an event held at Panjab University (PU).
He was speaking on the sidelines of “The Panjab University Pharmaceutical Sciences Oration-2023” on the theme “Green chemistry, sustainability and need of the pharma industry” which was held at law auditorium in PU on Thursday.
When questioned about the UT administration’s decision to put a cap on registration of internal combustion engine vehicles, he said it defeats the purpose if the electricity is not obtained through carbon neutral means. “If the electricity is obtained through carbon green processes like solar energy and wind energy then it’s fine, but if the electricity is obtained by burning coal then EV vehicles have no relevance,” he said.
As per the recently amended EV Policy, a notification for which was issued on Wednesday, the administration aims within five years that all new vehicle registrations for two wheelers, autos, commercial cars and buses be electric vehicles and 55% of personal car registrations also be electric vehicles. For 2023-24, 12% of all personal cars and 15% of all two wheeler registrations have been envisioned as e-vehicles.
With not a single charging station in the city being functional, the owners of over 4,000 electric vehicles registered in the city over the past five years, are forced to rely on home electricity before heading out on their commute.
Meanwhile, Yadav also discussed the concept of hydrogen cars and described how Union minister Nitin Gadkari also has a hydrogen fuelled car. He described how India has the technology to obtain green hydrogen from water without causing any carbon emissions.
He spoke about how green hydrogen can also be used to take care of waste. “Farmers don’t realise but by burning agricultural waste they are burning money,” he said.
While talking about waste management he said that collecting dry waste can also be incentivised and if segregated properly it can be very valuable. While talking about the Dadumajra dump he said that emphasis should now be on not increasing the dump further.
