Pollution Control Board to Introduce Pellets at Roadside Eateries, Replace Open Chullahs for Cooking

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) has recently started offering LPG gas connection to roadside eateries and is now ready to introduce environment-friendly pellets in order to replace open chullahs for cooking. Pellets are organic material which amount to minimize pollution during combustion.

According to the air quality action plan, approved by Central Pollution Board and the National Green Tribunal, the components that contribute considerably to air pollution are coal or wood-fired ovens.

Most roadside eateries use coal or wood-fired ovens / Image: I Am Renew

P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary of State Environment Department, said,

We are trying to introduce cleaner fuel in eateries and in addition to the gas ovens that we have started distributing in roadside stalls, we are planning to introduce pellets. I am told, that the pellets are much less polluting but some market economy has to kick in so that there are some manufacturers who come and help us to manufacture these pellets, which can be popularized.

He also revealed that the state government is ready to create an eco-system and framework for the manufacturers and at the same time it will contribute to societal needs.

The state MSME department in collaboration with Kolkata Municipal Corporation has demonstrated the technology in this direction and WBPCB is now trying to popularize the same.

The technology is already there, so the board now wants the industry to come forward with some investment in this area. We are now conducting a study to assess the exact extent of reduction in pollution level with the use of pellets. But there is no doubt that it will be considerably less.

Mishra said.

The board has already started providing subsidy in the form of one electric oven along with the first LPG connection to the roadside eateries to replace the challahs that contribute to pollution. 3,000 gas ovens with LPG cylinders have already been distributed to 3,000 roadside food stalls.

A senior WBPCB official said that they have plans to gradually distribute the same in all the police commissionerate areas and municipal areas in the state. The board has a budget of Rs 2 crore to achieve this goal which is likely to increase as per the requirement.

Via: Millennium Post