Question : STUDY ON INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION

(a) whether the Government has conducted any assessment study on pollution by various industrial sectors particularly Steel, Mines, Textiles and Sugar, etc.;

(b) if so, the details thereof, sector and State-wise and the action taken by the Government against the polluting industrial units;

(c) whether the Government has made it mandatory for polluting industries across the country to install real time monitoring systems;

(d) if so, the details thereof and whether all the mandated industrial units are complying with the guidelines; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the action taken by the Government against the defaulting industrial units?

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

(a)&(b) The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has set up a mechanism under its Environmental Surveillance Squad (ESS) programme for carrying out surprise inspections and assessment of levels of pollution of industrial units based on adoption of a uniform approach and elimination of subjectivity in scheduling of inspections. In addition, the surprise inspections are carried out to check the adequacy of pollution control systems and status of compliance to the prescribed standards by the industries including Steel, Textiles and Sugar plants.

Based on inspections carried, CPCB has issued directions to the defaulting industries under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and to the State Pollution Control Board (SPCBs) under Section 18(1)(b) of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Section 18(1)(b) of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The State-wise and Sector-wise summary status of the number of directions issued by CPCB during the last three years and upto June 30, 2014 is given at Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.

(c)to(e) With a view to further strengthening of the monitoring mechanism for effective compliance through self-regulatory mechanism, directions under Section 18(1)(b) of the Water and Air Acts have been issued to all SPCBs / Pollution Control Committees on February 5, 2014 by CPCB to direct all the industries under 17 categories of highly polluting industries, Common Effluent Treatment Plants, Common Hazardous Waste and Biomedical Waste Incinerators to install continuous emission and effluent monitoring system by March 31, 2015 and submit bank guarantee at the rate of 25 % of the cost of online monitoring systems (emission and effluent whichever applicable) for ensuring timely installation of online monitoring systems. Presently real time monitoring system is not mandatory for Mining.