The Supreme Court Petcoke ban is unjustified and is severely affecting the user-industries, claimed the Faridabad Industries Association in a communication with CoalMint.
During the communication, the association argued that the ban, imposed on the ground of atmospheric pollution by Petcoke usage, ignored the other pollution causing entities for reasons best known to the apex court. The association reasoned that pollution emanating from industries is only at around 11% of the total pollution caused alongwith other entities, such as vehicular, stubble burning, among others.
On the matter of Sulphur Dioxide emission during Petcoke burning, the association pointed out that the ban did not take into account the fact that the Central Pollution Control Board had already published a report stating that Sulphur Dioxide emission levels in Delhi/NCR are well-within the permissible limits; thus ruling out the merits of the ban.
The association also claimed that the ban has affected several industries, such as textile, rubber, sugar, steel, paper, packaging, forging, among others. It was also pointed out that the Delhi/NCR is a major hub for export of garment and auto components. The textile industry uses Petcoke in boilers; and the ban has rendered over 25 lakh of employees in Faridabad Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Panipat, Sonipat and Noida as jobless.
Referring to alternate fuels, the association said that Natural Gas is costlier by around four times, which will take a toll on the industries, especially in the prevailing competitive and poor economic conditions.
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