A section of industries using agro fuel only on paper, says EPCA

The issue was discussed in a meeting held by the SC-appointed committee. In the meeting, EPCA directed the pollution control authorities of Delhi, UP, Haryana and Rajasthan to provide details of an audit of industries that use agro-based fuel.

Industries claiming to be run on agro-based fuel, to bring down pollution in the NCR, could be hoodwinking pollution controlling authorities by taking advantage of a loophole in a 2018 notification of the Union government, apprehends the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA).

Industries claiming to be run on agro-based fuel, to bring down pollution in the NCR, could be hoodwinking pollution controlling authorities by taking advantage of a loophole in a 2018 notification of the Union government, apprehends the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA). (Reuters File photo)

“A section of industries could be running on agro-based fuel only on paper. We apprehend that they are still using coal that triggers heavy pollution. They are doing this by taking advantage of a notification by the Union environment ministry that exempts gas and agro-fuel based industries from following industrial emission standards,” Sunita Narain, EPCA member, said.

The issue was discussed in a meeting held by the SC-appointed committee. In the meeting, EPCA directed the pollution control authorities of Delhi, UP, Haryana and Rajasthan to provide details of an audit of industries that use agro-based fuel. “Had it been gas-based, tracking the source could have been easy. We could have easily asked the gas supplying agencies to provide details. But as agro-based fuel comes from an informal sector, tracking the source ... is difficult,” Bhure Lal, EPCA chairman, said.