The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), on May 4, 2026, issued a clarification regarding the requirement for installation or retrofitting of Air Pollution Control Devices (APCDs) for gas- or electricity-based heating furnaces operating in the Delhi-NCR region. The clarification is in continuation of CPCB's earlier communication dated April 20, 2026 granting APCD exemptions for certain gas/electricity-based boilers and thermic fluid heaters.
CPCB clarified that gas- or electricity-based reheating, heating, annealing, forging, muffle furnaces, and ovens used solely for heating metals and not involving any metal melting operations may be exempted from the requirement to install new APCDs or retrofit existing APCDs. The exemption is subject to the conditions that the furnace is used exclusively for heating, operates only on gas or electricity without the capability to use any other fuel, and is provided with an adequate stack arrangement to ensure proper dispersion of flue gases.
The Board has directed the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) in Delhi-NCR to issue a certificate confirming compliance with the prescribed conditions while considering requests for exemption from APCD installation or retrofit.
[File No. CP-12/3/2026-IPC-V-HO-CPCB-HO]
