3 days ago
Road dust and vehicles major polluter, not industry: Pb orders new study for steel hub
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Chandigarh: In a policy shift aimed at aligning air quality management with scientific evidence, the Punjab govt has decided to revise its 2019 action plan for clean air in Mandi Gobindgarh—Punjab's largest steel manufacturing hub—by commissioning a fresh source-apportionment study and carrying-capacity assessment through a reputed scientific institute.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by chief secretary KAP Sinha following a representation submitted by the All-India Steel Rerollers Association (AISRA). The association urged the govt to re-evaluate the action plan based on the findings of a 2023 source-apportionment study conducted by IIT-Delhi, which presented a revised, evidence-backed scenario that significantly altered the understanding of pollution sources in the city.
AISRA pointed out that the original 2019 action plan was based on in-house projections by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), which estimated that industrial emissions contributed 50% to ambient air pollution, while vehicular emissions and road dust together accounted for 35%. These estimates led to stringent regulatory actions focused primarily on the industrial sector.
However, the 2023 study by IIT-Delhi, conducted specifically for Mandi Gobindgarh, revealed a different pollution profile.
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It found that vehicular emissions contributed 35%, industrial emissions 26%, and road dust a significant 37% to PM2.5 concentrations in the city.
During the meeting, it was acknowledged that Mandi Gobindgarh—along with eight other cities: Dera Bassi, Nangal, Patiala, Khanna, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Pathankot, and Amritsar—was declared non-attainment cities by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), based on PM10 ambient air quality data from 2011–2015.
In response, PPCB prepared 'clean air action plans' in 2019 for all nine cities. However, due to time constraints, detailed source apportionment and carrying capacity studies were not carried out.
Instead, the 2019 plan for Mandi Gobindgarh relied on internal estimates that placed industrial pollution at 50% and vehicular emissions at 15%.
The 2019 plan also mandated the conversion of coal-based industrial units to cleaner fuels like PNG/CNG.
PPCB was directed to promote this shift, while the state govt was advised to reduce VAT on cleaner fuels to make the transition financially viable. The initial deadline for conversion, March 31, 2021, was later extended to Dec 31, 2023, due to practical challenges.
Following this, PPCB commissioned IIT-Delhi to conduct both a 'particulate matter carrying capacity study' (submitted in Sept 2021) and a source-apportionment study (submitted in Sept 2023).
During the July 2025 meeting, it was acknowledged that the 2023 IIT-Delhi study had certain limitations and did not fully capture changes that took place since 2019, including the installation of air pollution control devices by several industries and demographic shifts in the area.
Given these facts, the govt concluded that a fresh, scientifically robust study—conducted by an independent and reputed institute—is essential to reflect the current pollution scenario and to guide future amendments to the action plan and state fuel policy.
PPCB has been entrusted with initiating this process and submitting a revised strategy before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which is hearing a case concerning violations of air quality norms by coal-fired furnaces operating in Mandi Gobindgarh.
PPCB issues 120 closure notices
According to the latest status report filed by PPCB, of the 258 industrial units in Mandi Gobindgarh, 113 adopted PNG/LPG, 34 closed permanently, electricity supply was disconnected to 96 units, and pollution-causing machinery was sealed in 52.
Additionally, three units switched to induction heating using electricity.
The report also noted that PPCB issued 120 notices under Section 31-A of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, directing industries to shift from coal to PNG, failing which their electricity supply would be disconnected. As of now, 24 of those units ceased operations, while the remaining 96 are still required to comply.
