(a) whether the Government has identified industries which are releasing contaminated water/waste effluents into major rivers of the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of such industries against which action has been taken during the last three years and current year;
(c) whether the Government proposes to develop any national helpline number, mobile application etc. to receive complaints in this regard; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(DR. MAHESH SHARMA)
(a) & (b) According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), there are 2743 Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) in the country discharging their effluents into water bodies, including rivers, out of which 2497 industrial units are operating and 246 industrial units are self-closed. The number of complying and non-complying industrial units is 2222 and 275 respectively. Issuing directions to the non-complying industrial units is an ongoing process. Show-cause notices and closure directions have been issued by CPCB to 74 and 143 non-complying industrial units respectively. Legal cases have also been filed against 3 industrial units.
(c) & (d) There is no proposal at present under consideration of the Government for developing a national helpline number or mobile application to receive complaints. However, to encourage self-regulation practice in industries, CPCB has issued directions to all GPIs to install online effluent/emission monitoring system with connectivity to CPCB server for real-time monitoring of discharge of effluents and emissions. This system generates an SMS alert to non-complying industrial units, CPCB and concerned SPCB in case of exceedance of environmental norms.
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