PIL in Gujarat HC against use of petcoke, furnace oil

A group of city residents today moved the Gujarat High Court seeking a ban on the use of petcoke and furnace oil by various industries, claiming that these fuels were major contributors to air pollution in the state.
A division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi sought the government's reply and adjourned the hearing on the PIL filed by Tulja Yuvak Mandal to January.
The PIL states that furnace oil consumption in the state is approximately 7,76,000 tonnes per year.
Citing air pollution data and news reports, the petition said the use of petcoke and furnace oil as fuel by industries has "increased the toxicity in the air to a dangerous level and is causing serious health hazard to the residents of Gujarat".

It also cited a recent Supreme Court order banning these fuels in New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
The state government should prohibit their use in Gujarat and ensure that industries switch to eco-friendly fuels such as natural gas or electricity, the petition said.