New Delhi, June 8 (FN Agency) The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has ordered a complete ban on the use of coal in Delhi NCR from January 1, 2023 onwards. In a statement issued by the environment watchdog body on Wednesday, said for regions where PNG has infrastructure and supply is available, the ban on coal will be imposed from October this year onwards whereas the areas where PNG is currently unavailable, the ban on coal will start from January 1 next year. “In full effect, use of coal as fuel will be banned across NCR w.e.f. 01.01.2023,” it ordered.
However, the low-sulphur coal used in thermal power plants will remain exempted from the ban, according to the commission’s directions, the commission added. The commission also said the NCR state governments and the government of NCT of Delhi have been accordingly advised for phasing out coal from NCR via a communication dated June 3. The environment 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, it said. The CAQM then constituted an expert group to examine and deliberate upon all such suggestions and proposals. According to the central body, 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.