Introducing cleaner fuel in industries will be new focus
EPCA CHIEF BHURE LAL HAS WRITTEN TO NCR STATES TO MAKE SURE THAT INDUSTRIES EITHER SWITCH TO PNG OR SET UP EQUIPMENT TO CONTROL EMISSIONS
NEWDELHI: In the fight against pollution in Delhi-ncr, the main focus should move towards industrial pollution, the Supreme
Court-mandated Environment
Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) said on
Wednesday.
“Pollution control in indusconvert (fuel) to PNG. After that, tries should become the top priorno consent will be given to anyity of the Central Pollution Conbody using any other fuel,” Ali trol Board and the state pollution said. control bodies. We are not finding In Ghaziabad, however, indusenough actions on this. Data is trial associations are opposing not showing much difference the switch over to cleaner fuel. yet… All the hotspots of the “Indraprastha Gas Limited is region (NCR) remains extremely ready to give connections but the polluted. Be it Anand Vihar, industry is reluctant. We have to Delhi Technological University, talk to them and so that they shift Bhiwadi, and Ghaziabad,” EPCA to gas,” Himanshu Gautam, ADM member Sunita Narain said in a (City), Ghaziabad, said at the graded response action plan meeting.
(GRAP) review meeting on Last October, the Supreme Wednesday. Court had banned two cheap but
Delhi Pollution Control Comhighly polluting industrial fuels mittee member secretary SM Ali — furnace oil and petroleum said all industrial units operating coke, commonly called pet coke, in Delhi will switch to piped natuand directed Rajasthan, Haryana ral gas (PNG). “We have already and Uttar Pradesh to notify the convinced all the industrial assoban immediately. ciations. They are also happy. By Delhi banned the two fuels in the end of 2018, all industries will 1996, but their use continued in NCR by cement factories, dyeing units, paper mills, brick kilns and ceramics manufacturers.
During the Wednesday meeting, it was informed that EPCA chairperson Bhure Lal has already written to all four NCR states to make sure that industries either move to gas or set up pollution control equipment for NOX and SOX.
“They (industry owners) have the option to install pollution control equipment or switch to cleaner fuels,” Lal, in the letter dated February 21, said.
An Union environment ministry notification issued on January 29, 2018, says, “Emissions from industries need to be monitored and, all such industries would be required to install online monitoring system as per the online monitoring mechanism put in place by CPCB from time to time.”
According to EPCA, action should also be taken against nonconforming industries in Delhi. As per a DPCC survey, there were 1 lakh such units in Delhi. After a 1996 SC order, most industries were shifted out of the city but smaller units have multiplied over the years.