The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to carry out a study within four months to ascertain whether advance batch automated plants can address pollution caused due to burning of waste tyres in pyrolysis industries.
A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the CPCB to carry out the study with the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
Pyrolysis is a method of recycling old tyres through a thermochemical treatment under high temperature to produce industrial oil and other matters.
The directions came after the apex pollution control body informed the tribunal that according to an action taken report from respective State pollution control boards, currently there are 678 tyre pyrolysis units in 19 States. Out of the 678 units, 270 were compliant with environmental norms, the CPCB informed.
“The increase in number of compliance units is mainly due to monitoring by CPCB and State pollution control boards [SPCBs]. SPCBs based on direction of CPCB has started process of closing the non-compliance units ,” the CPCB said.
The tribunal was hearing a plea moved by NGO Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE) which sought a ban on end-of-life tyres in pyrolysis industries citing non-implementation of environmental laws.
“Direct the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the CPCB and the State pollution control boards in consultation with other scientific agencies to develop a monitoring mechanism to ensure that waste tyres imported are verified through scientific means,” the plea had said.
