(a) whether the sea/marine and coastal pollution is increasing and posing threat to people and marine life;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(c) the details of the funds provided during each of the last three years in this regard, State-wise; and
(d) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to mitigate sea/marine and coastal pollution?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND
MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES
(SHRI Y. S. CHOWDARY)
(a)&(b) Recognizing the importance of monitoring coastal pollution to assess health of marine life, the Ministry of Earth Sciences has been implementing a long-term program called “Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPS)”. Under the COMAPS program, the data on 25 environmental parameters including physical, chemical, biological and microbiological characteristics of water and sediment at selected locations are being collected from the coastline of the country, covering the maritime states and UTs. The parameters being monitored include dissolved oxygen (DO), nutrients, pH, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), plankton, benthos and pathogenic bacteria, at various coastal locations Vadinar, Veraval, Hazira, Thane (Mumbai), Worli, Ratnagiri, Malvan, Mandovi, Mangalore, Kochi, Kavaratti, Sandheads, Hooghly, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Ennore (Chennai), Puducherry, Tuticorin, Port Blair. The data are being provided to the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) who make use of the data to take remedial measures. The SPCBs are regulating water pollution under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 including discharge of wastewater to coastal areas. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has laid down effluent standards under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 in order to ensure that the industries comply with the prescribed standards. However, no increase of pollution in the sea coasts of the country has been reported by the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) / Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) that has led to threat to people and marine life.
(c) The monitoring of coastal pollution is being carried out through a network of national laboratories located in various coastal states. The details of funds released during each of the last three years to monitor the sea/marine and coastal water quality are as follows:
(Rs in lakhs).
State 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015
Maharashtra 0 50.00 58.57
Goa 0 61.24 0
Kerala 0 150.00 0
Odisha 40.93 0 54.75
Tamil Nadu 0 42.75 0
Andaman & Nicobar Islands 9.21 0 36.75
Total 50.14 303.99 150.07
(d) The following steps have been taken to prevent and mitigate sea/marine and coastal pollution:
• Control of Industrial pollution under the provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Also Common Effluent Treatment Plants for cluster of Small Scale Industrial units are promoted.
• Ensuring pollution control compliance in 17 categories of highly polluting industries.
• Urban centres discharging wastewater in aquatic resources and having no treatment facilities have been identified and given direction to treat the sewage.
• With respect to industrial effluents, consent management for compliance of standards is being enforced by SPCBs / PCCs to improve the water quality.
• The MoEF&CC has constituted National & State /UT Coastal Zone Management Authorities under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to ensure monitoring and enforcement of the CRZ notification.
• The Coastal Aquaculture authority (CAA) has been established under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, 2005 with the objective to regulate coastal aquaculture activities in coastal areas in order to endure sustainable development without causing damage to the coastal environment.