July 10: In this ministry, climate change seems to be the buzz word with every event related to this ministry now either commences or concludes with climate change and effects of global warming.

This was very much felt at the parliamentary consultative committee attached to the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) on Thursday. The meeting was on the increasing pollution levels, but it ended with the minister of state (MoS), Namo Narain Meena, concluding how greenhouse gases add on

to the pollution level as well.

But it were the ministry officials, who were asked by this parliamentary committee members to get some of their facts clear, especially on the fly-ash issue by one of the members of Parliament who was not satisfied with the reply by the ministry officials. Impressed by the efforts to bring down pollution level, including in the river Ganga by the ministry, committee members asked officials to see to it that results of these efforts are also as impressive.

Members were informed that the ministry is soon coming out with Charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environmental Protection (CREP), to involve highly polluting industries in promoting waste-mitigation technologies and for adoption of cleaner technologies. Mr Meena said that the ministry is aware of the serious challenges faced in controlling pollution when country is moving forward on a path of rapid economic development.

He said under the National Air Quality Programme, 33 continuous air quality-monitoring stations besides 342 manual monitoring stations function round the clock.

Expressing concern about the threats posed by polluted surface and ground water, Mr Meena said that financial assistance has been provided to state governments and state pollution control boards to set up Common Effluent Treatment Plants and Treatment Storage and Disposal Facilities.

The ministry has also taken initiatives to finalise the guidelines for environmentally sound management of electronic waste and mercury in compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).