EPCA chief says factories should switch to cleaner fuel or face closure: Report

The chairman of Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) Bhure Lal reportedly on visit to Kaushambi took stock of measures taken to contain pollution in the township.

According to ET, Bhure Lal issuing strict warning to factory owners said that all industrial units in the township should shift to cleaner fuel like PNG within a stipulated time, failing to which those would be closed.

Around 50 industries in UP is are still using conventional sources of fuel says Industries Federation of UP.

According to the pollution control board officials, there are about 150 units in entire Ghaziabad, which are operating on conventional fuel.

Federation chairman Ashok Choudhary speaking to the publication said that the Federation has informed Bhure Lal that production cost increases to about 25% if we use PNG, which would ultimately reflect in the overall pricing of a product and the same manufactured in areas away from NCR, using traditional sources of energy, will obviously be priced less.

So if we do not get any incentive from the government, we will be out of the competition. But we did not get any solution. Moreover, IGL, the company, is not very forthwith in giving us PNG connection.”

The central government has given a year’s time to all industries in NCR to abandon the use of coal, wood, rice husk and other traditional energy sources and switch to PNG.

According to the report Bhure Lal later convened a meeting of all stakeholders, including officials from GDA, GMC and the district administration as well as RWA office-bearers and industries association.