New Delhi: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has threatened to close down polluting industrial units located alongside the Ganga that haven’t disclosed whether they have installed real time 24X7 effluent and emission online monitoring systems.
Nearly a third of some 3,900 highly polluting industrial units sited alongside the river haven’t disclosed such information. The CPCB said they would be forced to shut if they don’t act.
Industries discharging industrial effluents and gaseous emissions are mandated to follow norms prescribed under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Industries that do not comply with the anti-pollution norms are liable for action including closure by the authorities.
In January, CPCB, which is India’s apex pollution watchdog, ordered the installation of 24X7 online monitoring devices in 17 categories of highly polluting industries, other industries and common effluent treatment plants located on the Ganga by the end of March 2015.
The deadline was extended till the end of June 2015 but even then compliance by industries hadn’t been satisfactory.
To expedite installation of the online monitoring system, CPCB issued individual directions to 3,933 industries but till October-end received responses from only 2,601 industries.
“Of the remaining 1,332 industries, directions to 398 industries were returned undelivered while 934 industries have not responded despite receiving the directions. This is being viewed very seriously,” said a senior CPCB official, who did not wished to be named.
CPCB last week issued notices to 1,332 industrial units asking them to respond “immediately” by logging on to CPCB website to provide the status of their compliance regarding installation of online monitoring devices.
“Failure of any industrial unit to respond will be taken very seriously. We would then order closure of such non-compliant industries,” the CPCB official added.
