Question : Industrial Pollution

(a) whether industries/factories are polluting the rivers in the country due to discharge of untreated water, effluents, sewage etc. into the rivers;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the standards prescribed for such industries for pollution abatement, directives/advisories issued and the mechanism for monitoring the compliance of the said standards/guidelines;
(d)the assistance provided for management of industrial wastes and effluents during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise;
(e)the punitive action taken by the Government against the polluting industries during the said period; and
(f) the other steps being taken by the Government for abatement of river pollution in the country?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a) &(b) Yes Sir. The Central and State Pollution Control Board have indentified 920 major Grossly Pollution Industries on various river across the country. Out of these units 95 units have not provided requisite pollution control facilities and hence are non-compliance.

(c) The sector specific standards have been prescribed to the industries. Recently, the old existing standards are in the process of revision. To improve the monitoring of compliance mechanism directive have issued to 3260 industries to install online 24x7 effluents and emission monitoring devices. 920 units have already installed such system out of about 2800 units which will be requiring setting up the devices. Further the industries particularly certain sectors like Distilleries, tanneries and textiles are compelled to setup Zero Liquid Discharge facilities.
(d) A scheme of common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) is under implementation in the Ministry for cluster of Small Scale Industrial units for treatment of their industrial wastes. The assistance provided to the CETPs during the last three years and the current year is given at Annexure.

(e) Punitive directions have been issued to 65 industries located on Ganga and these directions enforce industries to take steps for compliance. Further, directions have been served to 74 industries during 2014-15 in various part of the country to secure compliance these industries.

(f) Steps have been taken by the Government to control water pollution which inter- alia include, Clean India Mission, promoting common effluent treatment plants for cluster of small scale industries, formulation of River Action Plan for interception, diversion and treatment of Municipal Waste Water, tightening of effluent quality norms, augment sewage treatment capacity to achieve 100% treatment of waste water, directing the industries (tanneries, distilleries and textile industries) to achieve ZLD, specifying the water consumption norms for specific sector of industries, installation of real time effluent quality monitoring systems in industries maintaining minimum ecological flow in the river, initiating In-Situ Bioremediation of plants for treatment of flowing sewage/effluent, etc.
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