95% coal, oil-driven industries switched to CNG in 3 months: Delhi govt think tank

Ninety-five per cent of Delhi's coal and oil-driven industries have switched to CNG-operated systems in the last three months, according to a report of government think tank Delhi Dialogue Commission.

The panel submitted the report to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal recently.

Of the 1,542 coal and oil-driven industries in Delhi, 1,457 have shifted to compressed natural gas (CNG). The government has been making efforts to convert another 85 industries into CNG-adaptive, a statement said.

At a meeting held earlier this week, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had discussed with several industrialists the benefits of switching to CNG. He had also assured the industrialists about provisions of grants and compensation for making the shift.

"The Kejriwal government is committed to eliminating industrial pollution from Delhi. It is through strategic proposition and determined steps that 95 per cent of the oil-driven industry has shifted to CNG-operated systems," the statement read.

"With the efforts of the Delhi government, air pollution in the city has reduced by 25 per cent in three years. Delhi is the only state in the country to record a reduction in air pollution," Kejriwal said.

Delhi's Environment Minister Kailash Gehlot said, "95 per cent of the industries are now operating on CNG. We are aiming to bring this figure to hundred per cent."