SC directs Pollution Board to set emission standards by June; Industries asked to comply by December

New Delhi, May 8 (KNN) The Supreme Court has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to formulate emission standards for the industries operating in the NCR. This is being done to bring down the level of air pollutants.

The court has given two month's time from now i.e. June 30^th to formulate these norms.

Senior advocate Harish Salve who is appearing for a 1965 PIL filed by environmentalist M C Mehta said that the material used by the industries at present add enormous amount of pollution in the air.  This includes the usage of pet coke and furnace oil and is high in sulphur content.

Currently there are no standards for the sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions from the industries. Though use of pet coke and furnace oil is banned in Delhi, but they continue to be used in other parts of NCR including Ghaziabad, Noida and Gurgaon.

Also the Court has said that once the standards are set by the pollution control board, the industry will have time till December to comply with the newly set rules. Industries that are found not complying with the standards, action will be taken against them.

Talking to press, Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Head of Centre for Science and Environment said that this is an important development towards controlling of air pollution and will help in the conservation of environment. (KNN/ DA)