The Centre for Science and Environment today welcomed the Supreme Court ban on polluting industrial fuels pet-coke and furnace oil in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
The green NGO said the SC order has huge pollution reduction potential as large number of industrial units in these states, bordering Delhi, use these toxic fuels "indiscriminately".
According to the SC-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, these fuels are used the most by industries located in UP's Ghaziabad and their combustion leads to the emission of extremely high levels of sulphur.
Following the court order, the EPCA directed the pollution control boards of the three states to write to the industries using these fuels, informing them about the prohibition.
"EPCA investigations have exposed extremely high sulphur levels in these fuels, ranging from more than 20,000 parts per million (ppm) to 74,000 ppm in contrast to only 50 ppm sulphur in BS-IV transport fuels introduced nation-wide this year," Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE's executive director research and advocacy, said.
Furnace oil and pet-coke are the dirtiest by-products and residual fraction from the refinery process. Use of these fuels was banned in Delhi way back in 1996.
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