Commission For Air Quality Management Bans Use Of Coal In Delhi-NCR From Next Year

New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has issued directions to ban the use of coal in industrial, domestic and other miscellaneous applications in the entire Delhi NCR region from January 1, 2023. However, the use of low-sulphur coal in thermal power plants will remain to continue and hence has been exempted from the ban. Around 1.7 million tonnes of coal is used annually in industrial applications in NCR, with about 1.4 million tonnes being consumed in six major industrial districts alone.

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In an order issued on June 3, the CAQM said the ban on the use of coal will come in force with effect from October 1 in areas having PNG infrastructure and supply and from January 1, 2023 in areas where the PNG supply is still not available.

In a statement the panel said,

In full effect, the use of coal as fuel shall be banned across NCR with effect from January 1, 2023.

The panel had earlier invited suggestions from the general public and experts in the field to find a permanent solution to the air pollution problem in Delhi-NCR.

A large number of suggestions were related to the banning of coal. The CAQM then constituted an expert group to examine and deliberate upon all such suggestions and proposals.

In its report, the expert group also strongly recommended phasing out heavily polluting fossil fuels like coal and mandating cleaner fuels to the extent possible.

Also Read: Air Pollution Crisis: 21 Of World’s 30 Most Polluted Cities Are In India, Says The New Report

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.