Deadline to shift to cleaner fuels ends today, crackdown to start next week

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is preparing to crackdown on polluting industrial units in the city and restaurants using charcoal from next week .

Officials said a 90-day deadline was given by the pollution control body to industries and restaurants to shift to ‘approved’ cleaner fuels like Piped Natural Gas (PNG). That deadline ends on Sunday, after which the crackdown will begin.

“The polluting units operating from the industrial zones were directed to shift to PNG. The restaurants using charcoal were directed to install emission channelization and control systems to minimize pollution. They were given a period of 90 days starting from July this year. The deadline ends on September 30. Anyone found using any unapproved fuel will have to face actions after that,” said Bhure Lal, chairman of the Supreme Court appointed body Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA).

On June 29thedpcchad come out with a list of approved fuels, which includes BS-VI diesel and petrol, Natural Gas (CNG and PNG), LPG and biogas.

“Existing industries/units shall convert/switch over from existing fuels to approved fuels within 90 days from the date of issue of notification,” the notification had said.

As per the Master Plan of Delhi, industries are permitted only in designated areas such as industrial areas and redevelopment areas. There are 28 industrial areas and 22 redevelopment areas in the city.

A study by Iit-kanpur in 2016 had stated that industries contribute around 10–11% of the PM10 and PM2.5 load of Delhi’s pollution levels apart from adding significantly to the levels of other pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.