The deadline for non-attainment cities has been extended till September 30, 2022, while others get till March 31, 2023
The deadline for non-attainment cities has been extended till September 30, while others have got till March 31, 2023
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has directed the Madras High Court to extend the time limit aimed at fixing retrofit emission control devices (RECDs) for industries and other establishments using diesel power generator sets of 125 kVA and above capacity. informed about your decision. Reducing air pollution.
Justices T. Raja and S. Sonthar was informed that the deadline for installations in non-attainment cities (which are below the national ambient air quality standards) like Chennai, Madurai, and Tiruchi would be extended till September 30. Thoothukudi, and till March 31, 2023, for all other parts of the state.
The expansion was decided in view of the non-availability of a new product, RECD, in the market. The court was informed that it may take around three months for the first product to hit the market as the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had recently received applications for approval from six manufacturers.
Those applications were forwarded to the identified testing agencies in Pune and Manesar. Though there were two more testing agencies at Dehradun and Ahmednagar, all the four centers were equipped with the facility to test only RECDs up to 800 kW, the court was told.
Submissions were made by Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited through senior advocates AL Somayaji and Abdul Salim during the hearing of individual writ petitions challenging a notification issued by TNPCB on October 20, 2021.
The notification had stressed on immediate rectification of RECDs on establishments in non-attainment cities and for establishments in other parts of the state, till March 31, 2022. The oil companies complained in the court that the notification could not be followed as RECDs were not available in the market.
After the registration of the case, the CPCB admitted before the court that it would take two to three months for the first product to hit the market as they were in the testing phase. It also said that it had not issued any direction to the State Pollution Control Boards to fix the time limit for installation of RECDs.
On its part, TNPCB informed the court of extension of time limit. Therefore, the judges disposed of the writ petitions filed by the oil companies after recording the submissions made by the CPCB and TNPCB.