Continuing its concerted efforts to abate air pollution arising out of emissions from highly polluting fossil fuels like coal, furnace oil, etc., the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has advised Coal India Limited (CIL) and State Governments of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (U.P.), to ensure that coal is not supplied/ allotted by various coal companies of CIL to various suppliers/ stockists/ agents of ClL operating in the National Capital Region (NCR). Moreover, the Commission has also advised the entities/ units/ industries including stockists, traders and dealers of coal to ensure compliance and discontinue coal supply in NCR for any kind of usage/ stocking/ selling/ trading in entire NCR except for Thermal Power Plants (TPPs). Statutory directions of the Commission require complete elimination of use of coal and other unapproved fuels for various operations/ applications across all sectors (including industrial, commercial and miscellaneous applications), w.e.f. 01st January, 2023 in the entire NCR.
Statutory directions were issued by the Commission regarding permissible fuels for industrial/ domestic/ miscellaneous applications in the NCR in terms of Direction Nos. 64 dated 02.06.2022 and 65 dated 23.06.2022. Presently, use of coal now stands completely banned (except in TPPs) and it is not considered a permissible fuel within NCR as per the common fuel list under the Directions issued by the Commission.
In compliance of the Commission’s directions, 84 industrial units across NCR areas of Haryana, U.P. & Rajasthan which were hitherto not using approved fuels, closed down their operations temporarily/ permanently on their own. Since last 3 months w.e.f. 01.10.2022, only 21 industrial units were found using highly polluting unapproved fuels like coal, furnace oil, etc. and those units have been closed pursuant to CAQM closure directions. Beyond 01.01.2023, the compliance has further improved and only 02 units were found using such heavily polluting fuels during inspection, thus indicating satisfactory compliance of Statutory Directions of the Commission.
The Flying Squad of the Commission will continue conducting incognito inspections to ensure strict compliance on use of only approved fuels in the entire NCR.