Red-category industries told to track emissions

The Times of India , Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Correspondent : Jayashree Nandi
NEW DELHI: The Central Pollution Control Board has issued directions to pollution control boards in NCR states to get all “red” category industries to install online stack continuous emissionsmonitoring systems and connect them to the CPCBserver by March 31.

The move has been long overdue as industries in NCR are one of the biggest contributors of air pollution, but such emissions are largely unregulated. Environmentalists have been demanding that stack emissions data be shared continuously on an open platform.

In its letters to Delhi, UP, Haryana and Rajasthan pollution control boards, issued twice on January 3, 2018, and December 29, 2017, CPCB said the state pollution control boards must submit an action taken report and the list of red-category industries within 15 days of receiving the directions.

So far, CPCB hasn’t received any response. “We will meet the state boards in March and take the total list of industries. Some industries have reservations about complying with the directions. By then, we will also know if industries will be able to comply with the directions immediately,” A Sudhakar Rao, member secretary, CPCB, said.

Industries that fail to comply will have their consent to operate withdrawn and a closure direction will be issued without further notice. Under Section 16 of the Air Act 1981, CPCB can coordinate activities of state pollution control boards. As per CPCB’s directions on March 7, 2016, and July 19, 2017, state boards were directed to constitute committees, headed by member secretaries, to categorise industries in red and other categories. Red-category industries are the most polluting, as per CPCB’s categorisation.

“Red-category industries located in 23 districts of UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi are discharging environmental pollutants directly or indirectly into the air, which pose a constant threat to the air quality in Delhi/NCR,” the letter added.

There are no red-category industries in Delhi, but there has been a proliferation of several unauthorised industries in the capital in the past decades. Delhi Pollution Control Committee hasn’t mapped them yet.

According to CPCB, the CEMs will “inculcate a habit of self- monitoring mechanism … for strengthening monitoring and compliance through self-regulatory mechanism, online emission monitoring systems need to be installed and operated by industries on ‘polluter pays principle’”. The SC-mandated Environment Pollution Control Authority, in its comprehensive action plan to control air pollution in NCR, recommended that emissions data from industries be released on an open platform.

The CPCB letter adds that a task force has been constituted by PMO to review air quality of Delhi/NCR and suggest action points. Regulating emissions from industries is one of their objectives.

 
SOURCE : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/red-category-industries-told-to-track-emissions/articleshow/63101828.cms
 


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