Industries seek time to implement ban on pet coke, furnace oil

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today agreed to hear on November 6 a plea of a group of industries seeking “reasonable time” to implement the apex court order banning use of furnace oil and pet coke to curb pollution. A bench of Justices J Chelameswar and S Abdul Nazeer said the appropriate bench will hear the matter on November 6.

The counsel appearing for a group of industries said they do not have any problem with the October 24 order of the apex court but some “reasonable time should be given to implement it”. The counsel further said that the apex court banned the use of furnace oil and pet coke from November 1 and non- compliance will result in closure of such industries using these fuels.

Earlier, the apex court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), in its report to the top court, had recommended that “distribution, sale and use of furnace oil and pet coke would be strictly banned in NCR”.
The court, in its May 2 this year order, had noted that the use of furnace oil and pet coke was prohibited in Delhi.

The court was hearing a PIL filed in 1985 by environmentalist M C Mehta who had raised the issue of air pollution in the Delhi-NCR. Earlier, the court was told about the ill-effects of pet coke and furnace oil used in the industries on ambient air and it was said that emissions from such units were highly toxic as these discharged high sulphur content.