Order of the Supreme Court of India on the use of furnace oil and pet-coke and pollution standards for industries, 24/10/2017
Order of the Supreme Court of India in the matter of M. C. Mehta (In Re Report No. 72 filed by EPCA and Allocation fo Natural Gas to IGL) Vs Union of India & Others dated 24/10/2017 regarding use of furnace oil and pet-coke in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan and fixing pollution standards for industries.
Mains Points of the Order are the following:
1. Supreme Court places a ban on use of Furnace Oil and Pet-Coke in the States of U.P., Haryana and Rajasthan. The ban will take effect from 1st November, 2017.
2. Another issue for consideration was fixing standards for 34 industries with regard to the SO2, NOX and SOX emissions. The affidavit filed by the Solicitor General on behalf of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 20th July, 2017 states that insofar as 9 industries are concerned, SO2, NOX and SOX standards had already been fixed. It is also brought to Court's notice that emission standards for SO2, NOX and SOX are not required to be fixed in respect of two industries, viz., electroplating industries and stone crushing units since there is no emission of SO2, NOX and SOX. CPCB informs the Court that draft standards were fixed by the CPCB in respect of 16 industries and these were communicated to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 27.06.2017.
3. Supreme Court expresses dismay with the attitude of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change that had been sitting over 16 recommendations (pollution standards for industries) at least since 27.06.2017, that is, "almost about three months without apparently showing any concern whatsoever for the pollution in Delhi and in NCR". Apex Court imposes a fine of Rs. 2,00,000 /- (Rupees two lakhs only) on the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.