Concrete

A big win for Delhi-NCR

Published

8 years ago

October 31, 2017

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The ban on pet coke and furnace oil in industrial sectors of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh has received mixed reactions from the industry experts. However, the Centre for Science and Environment has welcomed the Apex Court’s decision.

In a landmark delivered on October 24, 2017 the Supreme Court bench comprising of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta banned the use of dirty furnace oil and pet coke in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh from November 1, 2017. These fuels are already banned in Delhi. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has lauded this directive as a big win for Delhi-NCR as well as the rest of the country fighting a tough battle against toxic pollution.

The bench has also directed the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to notify the standards for nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulphur oxides (SOx) for industrial sectors; the standards have to be complied with by December 31, 2017. In addition, the MoEF&CC has also been directed to pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh to the Supreme Court. This order has come in response to the findings and recommendations of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), which exposed widespread use of these fuels in industrial sectors of the NCR and found extremely high levels of toxic sulphur in these fuels.

Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director – Research and Advocacy, CSE, elaborated: "EPCA investigations have exposed extremely high sulphur levels in these fuels as stated above." Furnace oil and pet coke are the dirtiest by-products and residual fraction from the refinery process. Use of these fuels was banned in Delhi way back in 1996.

What has the court’s order done:
Eliminates the use of dirtiest industrial fuels in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and mandates first ever stringent NOx and SOx standards for industry nation-wide: This momentous order eliminates in one stroke the use of dirtiest bottom-of-the-barrel fuels from the industrial units of the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, and makes all industrial units across the country liable for compliance with the new emissions standards by December 31, 2017.

Enormous pollution reduction potential from the industrial sector: Use of such dirty fuels contribute hugely to toxic gases like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide in the air. Moreover, these gases, once out in the air form secondary particulates and add to the particulate load. A large number of industrial units operating in Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Bhiwadi, Noida and Greater Noida, Hapur, Bulandshahar, Alwar, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Rohtak, Mewat, Sonipat, Rewari, Palwal, Karnal, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar have been using these dirty fuels.

Says Roychowdhury: "This is a very important step forward as air pollution in industrial areas is very high. Till now, there were no air pollution monitors in industrial areas of NCR. But following the Supreme Court order, air quality monitors have been installed this year in Bhiwadi, Ghaziabad (Vasundhara), and Faridabad." A CSE analysis of the data shows higher pollution levels in these areas compared to other locations – with Bhiwadi indicating the highest levels. CSE researchers point out that the order is expected to have nation-wide impact, as industries across the country will have to comply with the new standards for SOx and NOx that are not regulated currently in India.

The intervention of the Supreme Court is very opportune and timely as the recently enforced GST has created huge incentive for these dirty fuels to thrive. Both these fuels are included in GST and are in the 18 per cent tax bracket. But the industries that use these fuels for manufacture get a credit. The tax of 18 per cent is fully credited to industry. But the cleaner option, natural gas which is not included in GST pays VAT as high as 26 per cent (such as in Uttar Pradesh). This incentive is thus fanning and expanding the use of dirty fuels. Demand for pet-coke has increased to such an extent that last year India imported 14 million tonnes of pet-coke, which is more than the domestic production. If imports and domestic production are added, then India has used more pet-coke than China, when its pollution was at its peak. Roychowdhury points out: "Today, China has stopped imports of pet-coke. But India has become a dumping ground of pet-coke from the US, which has banned its internal use because of pollution." There has been a lot of delay already in the framing and implementation of the standards and the ban. All concerned agencies will now have to focus on implementation of the order. In fact, the EPCA had filed its first report on the matter in April 2017 asking for expansion of the ban on use of furnace oil and pet-coke which was already in force in Delhi, to the rest of NCR. In the due process of hearing the MoEF&CC made a plea saying instead of ban, industries should be allowed to adhere to emission standards.

Harish Salve (Amicus Curiae) in the matter, brought to the notice of the Supreme Court that there are no emission standards for SOx and NOx for industries. In response, the Court on May 2, 2017 directed that the standards be issued by the MoEF&CC by June 2017. In July 2017, the ministry asked for more time, which was granted. But industries were put on notice that they would need to comply with standards by December 31, 2017.

Today, the MoEF&CC submitted to the Supreme Court the draft emission standards for SOx and NOx, issued on October 23, 2017. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) submitted an affidavit saying that it had sent the proposed standards to the ministry on June 27, 2017. For two industrial sectors-nitric acid and fertilizers-the standards had been sent way back in 2014. Clearly, the process of standard-setting was caught in a time warp. The Judges of the apex court were not amused by this inexplicable delay.

Said Sunita Narain, Director General of CSE and a member of the EPCA: "India has continued the use of these extremely polluting fuels without any regulation for too long. Any further delay in standards and implementation of the court order will make the air pollution and health risk worse. Implementation of the directive from the Supreme Court today has to be the top agenda for pollution control and we must take action urgently."

– Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director CSE, Research and Advocacy and head of the air pollution and clean transportation programme.

For more information from CSE, contact Souparno Banerjee of the CSE Media Resource Centre, Email: souparno@cseindia.org / Tel: 9910864339.

Concrete

Cement Margins to Erode as Energy Costs Rise: CRISIL

CRISIL warns of 150–200 bps margin decline this fiscal

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2026

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Crisil Intelligence (CRISIL) released a report on April 13, 2026, indicating Indian cement manufacturers face margin erosion of 150–200 basis points this fiscal, reducing operating margins to between 16 per cent and 18 per cent. The firm noted that this represents a reversal from the prior year when margins expanded by 260–280 basis points. The analysis attributed the shift to rising input costs despite steady demand.

The report said that power and fuel, which typically account for about 26–28 per cent of production cost, are expected to increase by 10–12 per cent year on year, driven by higher prices for crude oil, petroleum coke and thermal coal. Brent crude was assessed as likely to trade between $82 and $87 per barrel, and industrial diesel prices rose by 25 per cent in March, raising logistics and procurement expenses. Such increases have therefore heightened cost pressures across the value chain.

Producers plan to raise selling prices by one–three per cent, which would put the average retail price of a cement bag at around Rs355–Rs360, according to the report. CRISIL’s director Sehul Bhatt was cited as saying that these hikes will at best offset a four–six per cent rise in production costs, leaving little room for higher profitability. The report added that intense competition and continual capacity additions constrain the extent to which firms can pass on costs.

Demand conditions remain supportive, with CRISIL projecting volume growth of six point five–seven point five per cent this fiscal on the back of accelerated infrastructure projects and steady industrial and commercial consumption. Nonetheless, the pace of recovery is sensitive to developments in West Asia, the speed of government infrastructure execution and monsoon performance. The agency noted that any further escalation in energy prices or delays in project execution would widen margin pressures.

Overall, the sector will continue to grow but with compressed margins as energy cost inflation outpaces the limited ability to raise prices. Investors and policymakers will therefore monitor both input cost trajectories and policy measures aimed at alleviating supply chain constraints.

Concrete

Haver & Boecker Niagara to showcase solutions at Hillhead

Focus on screening tech, diagnostics and quarrying efficiency

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2026

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Haver & Boecker Niagara will showcase its mineral processing technologies at Hillhead 2026, scheduled from June 23–25 in Buxton, UK.

At Stand PA3, the company will present its end-to-end solutions including screeners, screen media and advanced diagnostics, with a focus on improving efficiency, uptime and throughput for aggregates producers.

Highlighting its screen media portfolio, the company will feature Ty-Wire media with hybrid design offering up to 80 per cent more open area, alongside FLEX-MAT® solutions designed to enhance wear life and throughput while reducing blinding and clogging.

The showcase will also include its PULSE Diagnostics suite, comprising vibration analysis, condition monitoring and impact testing, aimed at assessing equipment health and preventing unplanned downtime.

Commenting on the event, Martin Loughran, Sales Manager, UK & Ireland, said, “Hillhead presents an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate how we deliver innovative technologies along with long-term service and technical support.”

The company will also highlight its Niagara F-Class vibrating screen, designed to reduce structural vibration and improve operational reliability under demanding conditions.

The participation reflects Haver & Boecker Niagara’s focus on supporting quarrying operations with advanced screening solutions and predictive maintenance technologies.

Concrete

Siyaram Recycling Secures Rs 21.03 mn Order From Anurag Impex

Domestic Fixed Cost Contract To Be Executed Within Seven Days

Published

3 days ago

April 15, 2026

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Siyaram Recycling Industries Limited (Siyaram Recycling) has informed the stock exchange that it has secured a purchase order for brass scrap honey from Anurag Impex. The company submitted the intimation on 10 April 2026 from Jamnagar and requested the filing be taken on record. The filing was made under the provisions of regulation 30 of the SEBI listing regulations and accompanying circular. The intimation referenced the SEBI circular dated 13 July 2023 and included an annexure detailing the terms.

The order carries a fixed cost value of Rs 21.03 million (mn) and is to be executed domestically within seven days. The contract was described as a fixed cost engagement and the customer was identified as Anurag Impex. The announcement specified that the order size contributes a short term consideration to the company. Owing to the brief execution window, logistics and dispatch were expected to be prioritised.

The filing clarified that neither the promoter group nor group companies have any interest in the purchaser and that the transaction does not constitute a related party transaction. Details were provided in an annexure and the document was signed by the managing director, Bhavesh Ramgopal Maheshwari. The company referenced compliance with SEBI disclosure requirements in its notification. The notice indicated that no related party approvals were required owing to the nature of the transaction.

The order is expected to provide a modest near term revenue inflow and to be processed within the stated execution window given the nature of the product and the fixed cost terms. Management indicated the contract will be executed in accordance with standard operational procedures and accounting recognition at completion. The development signals continuing demand in the secondary metals market for brass scrap.