SC takes note of pollution from Graphite India’s plant in Bengaluru


Team Udayavani, Oct 10, 2018, 5:59 PM IST

Bengaluru: The Supreme Court Tuesday took note of the pollution caused from a Graphite India plant in Bengaluru and asked it to explain as to why the use of petroleum coke (petcoke) by the company not be stopped with immediate effect.

A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta had on September 6 allowed the application of Graphite India Ltd seeking permission to import petcoke, also called needle coke, to be used as feed stock for manufacture of graphite electrodes which are used in the steel industry.

When the issue of pollution from the plant was raised before the court, it said that the matter has to be dealt with urgently as it was affecting the health of people of the area.

“They have taken permission from the court to use it. If due to this, people are going to suffer then we will withdraw the permission,” the bench observed.

It issued notice to Graphite India Ltd seeking their response by October 12 explaining “why the use of needle petcoke should not be stopped with immediate effect since it is causing immense pollution affecting health of people”.

Advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the air pollution matter, told the bench that the issue has come to the notice of the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA).

“If the company is going to misuse it, we will withdraw the permission,” the bench said.

The bench also dealt with the issue related to use of domestic and imported petcoke in Aluminium, steel and calcinated pet coke.

Regarding the use of calcinated petcoke by Aluminium industry, the EPCA told the court that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has dealt with the issue.

The bench said that calcinated pet coke could be used by Aluminium industry as per revised Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications on technological upgrade and its import would not exceed 0.5 million metric tonnes per annum.

It also said that raw pet coke, both domestic and imported, could be used as feed stock to produce calcinated petcoke and its import would not exceed 1.4 million metric tonnes per annum.

For use of pet coke by Steel industry, the Centre said they need three weeks time which was granted by the court.

The Centre had earlier told the apex court that petcoke was a “highly polluting” fuel and its use should be allowed only in certain industries as feedstock and not for manufacturing purpose.

The court was hearing the issue related to petcoke which had cropped up while adjudicating a matter of air pollution in Delhi national capital region.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

SC notice to Karnataka, DK Shivakumar on CBI plea against withdrawal of consent by state govt

Will remain active in politics till my last breath: JD(S) patriarch & ex-PM Deve Gowda

BJP calls Congress govt ‘laughing stock’ as ‘samosa politics’ heats up in Himachal

Chikkaballapur: Yoga teacher feigns death by holding her breath, escapes murder bid

World Bunts Summit to be held in Mumbai on December 7

SC dismisses PIL seeking CBI probe into Tirupati laddus row

Salman Khan gets another threat; message sent to Mumbai traffic police helpline

Related Articles More

SC notice to Karnataka, DK Shivakumar on CBI plea against withdrawal of consent by state govt

Will remain active in politics till my last breath: JD(S) patriarch & ex-PM Deve Gowda

New kind of ”Jihad” in Karnataka through Waqf Board, alleges Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

Chikkaballapur: Yoga teacher feigns death by holding her breath, escapes murder bid

Leopard spotted near M’luru airport, Forest Dept begins search operation

MUST WATCH

Gho Pooja in Deepavali Festival

Melukote Deepavali

Ganapathi Co-operative Society Ltd

Udayavani Chinnara Banna 2024

Annapoorna Aahar | Food Places In Mysore


Latest Additions

SC notice to Karnataka, DK Shivakumar on CBI plea against withdrawal of consent by state govt

DeMo paved way for monopolies by devastating MSMEs, informal sector: Rahul on note ban anniversary

Will remain active in politics till my last breath: JD(S) patriarch & ex-PM Deve Gowda

Comply with order allowing minority student to attend St Stephen’s College: HC tells DU

INDIA bloc looted, destroyed Jharkhand: Dharmendra Pradhan

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.