India's Glass and Ceramics Clusters
Morbi's Switch From Coal Gas
How Morbi's tile factories used polluting coal gasifiers until the National Green Tribunal ordered them shut in 2019, and the costs of switching to natural gas.
Morbi’s factories needed a cheap fuel.
Coal gasifiers
Many used coal gasifiers, which were cheap but released toxic pollution and wastewater.
NGT order
In 2019, the National Green Tribunal ordered factories to stop using coal gasifiers.
Natural gas
Factories switched to piped natural gas, which is cleaner but more expensive.
Gas prices
When gas prices spiked in 2022, many Morbi units temporarily shut down.
Trade-off
Cleaner air for residents versus higher costs for factories.
Alternatives
Some units explored propane and other fuels.
In 2022, dozens of Morbi units paused production because natural gas became too expensive.
It raised costs.
- Morbi used coal gasifiers.
- The NGT banned them in 2019.
- Units switched to natural gas.
- Gas price spikes forced shutdowns.
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