MUMBAI: Oil companies Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum have agreed to further cut down sulphur content -already below prescribed limits-from their Mumbai refineries’ flue gases. The move aims to improve Mumbai’s air quality when it is hosting some G20 events.
The oil companies’ decision was disclosed by Amitabh Kant, India’s G-20 Sherpa, at a briefing in Mumbai. Kant was responding to a question on Mumbai’s air quality being worse than Delhi’s last week. Mumbai municipal commissioner had raised the issue of the two oil refineries, located at the eastern end of the island city, adding to the pollution.
Kant said he had taken up the issue with the petroleum secretary, and the government undertook an extensive review of the two oil refineries. “The refineries are connected to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board centre online indicating the SOX (sulphur oxides) data,” said Kant.
