CAQM advises CIL to avoid supplying coal in NCR to control air pollution

New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has advised Coal India Limited (CIL) and state governments of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, to ensure that coal is not supplied or allotted to various suppliers, stockists or agents of ClL operating in the National Capital Region (NCR), stated the ministry in a statement. The statement also added that CAQM has undertaken this initiative to control air pollution in adjoining areas and NCR.

Commission asks all entities/units/industries to discontinue coal supply

"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)," said the statement.

"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 January 1 in the entire NCR." it added.

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'Use of coal now stands completely banned & it is not considered a permissible fuel within NCR'

"Statutory directions were issued by the Commission regarding permissible fuels for industrial/ domestic/ miscellaneous applications in the NCR in terms of Direction Numbers 64 dated June 2, 2022 and 65 dated June 23, 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," said the statement.

"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," said the statement.

"Since last three months with effect from October 1, 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 January 1, the compliance has further improved and only two units were found using such heavily polluting fuels during inspection, thus indicating satisfactory compliance of statutory directions of the Commission," said the ministry.

"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," it added.

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