New Delhi: Coal usage is now completely banned within the National Capital Region (NCR) and it is no longer considered a permissible fuel. However, the Thermal Power Plants have been exempted from this order. The Commission for Air Quality Management has advised Coal India Limited (CIL) and the State governments of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to ensure that coal is not allotted to suppliers of ClL operating in NCR.
The Commission has directed for the complete elimination of coal usage and other unapproved fuels for various operations across all sectors with effect from the first of this month.
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 and adjoining areas (CAQM) has advised Coal India Limited (CIL) and state governments of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to ensure that coal is not supplied/ allotted by various coal companies of CIL to various suppliers/ stockists/ agents of ClL operating in 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), with effect from 1st January, 2023 in the entire NCR.
Statutory directions were issued by the Commission regarding permissible fuels for industrial/ domestic/ miscellaneous applications in the NCR. 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, UP and Rajasthan which were hitherto not using approved fuels, closed down their operations temporarily/ permanently on their own. Since last 3 months (with effect from 1st October, 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 1st January, 2023, the compliance has further improved and only 2 units were found using such heavily polluting fuels during inspection, thus indicating satisfactory compliance of Statutory Directions of the Commission. It has said that the Flying Squad will continue conducting incognito inspections to ensure strict compliance on use of only approved fuels in the entire NCR.
