Introduction: North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC)

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) is likely to run sealing action after 29th September against factories or Industries, which are involved in the activity to produce air pollutants by using coal and other ‘bad’ fuels like pet coke and furnace oil. Delhi is the city where the pollution rate is already high and that kind of factories and industries discharge unavoidable air pollutants. 

Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) took cognizance of increasing air pollution in the city and issued a circular to Delhi’s three civic agencies last month, and asking them to direct all industries to use only a list of fuels approved by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) under the Delhi government recently.

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List of approved fuels in the National Capital Territory of Delhi

1. Coal with low Sulphur (less than 0.4%) for use in thermal power plants only 
2. Petrol (BS-IV with 50 ppm Sulphur with effect from April 1, 2010, and BS-VI with 10 ppm Sulphur vide Government of India GSR 889 (E) dated September 16, 2016, to be implemented w.e.f 1.4.2020. 
3. Diesel (BS-IV with 50 ppm Sulphur with effect from April 1, 2010, and BS-VI with 10 ppm Sulphur vide Government of India GSR 889 (E) dated September 16, 2016, to be implemented w.e.f 1.4.2020 
4. Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) 
5. Natural Gas/Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) 
6. Aviation turbine fuel 
7. Firewood for crematoriums and for other religious purposes. 
8. Biogas
9. Refuse Derived Fuel (from waste-to-energy plants)
10. Any other fuel notified by GNCTD

Industries will be liable to penalty, if they are continuing to using fuels other than those mentioned in notified list after 29th September. Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act deals in that matter.

“As directed by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) EPCA, we will initiate awareness Programme in industrial areas from next week and it will continue till September 28. And after that officials will start checking factories in confirming or industrial areas and take immediate action,” said senior North Corporation official.

“We will submit a full compliance report after an interval of time to the EPCA,” said the official.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s awareness Programme will be started by pamphlets distribution in industrial areas and issuing a series of advertisements in newspapers. The other two civic agencies—South and East Corporations are also in the process of conducting similar drives in their areas. 
To reduce pollution-related woes in the national capital, the Delhi government issued a notification on June 29, mandating the use of only cleaner fuels and barred all toxic and polluting fuels, and given 90 days time to adhere to the norms.

According to experts, this is an important step to reduce air pollution before the arrival of winter to clean up transportation, industrial, and household fuels in the city.
“Controlling combustion sources is a critical step forward to reduce the toxicity of emissions. During the awareness drive, the civic agency should simultaneously collect data about the percentage of industries that started using notified fuels after notification and make the information public. This will give a real picture of the current situation with industries in the city,” said Sunil Dahiya, senior campaigner, Greenpeace India.

Vivek Chattopadhyay, senior program manager at Centre for Science and Environment said, “The fuels like petcoke have high sulfur content and despite being banned in Delhi, so many small-scale industries are using it illegally. Also, all fuels mentioned as Bharat Stage-VI are available at petrol pump so it won’t be difficult for industries to use them,” he said.

For more information on this, Please visit Delhi Pollution Control Committee