State-owned oil firms asked to boost gas supply to petcoke ban-hit states

New Delhi: India’s oil minister on Tuesday asked state oil firms to boost supply of gas and alternative fuels in states where petroleum coke and furnace oil are banned due to high emissions.

India imports about half of its annual consumption of 27 million tonnes of petcoke, Dharmendra Pradhan said in a tweet.

The country has banned use of petcoke and furnace oil in states around New Delhi and in the capital city to rein in pollution. Demand for petcoke has doubled in the past four years.