Industrial units show little interest in online monitoring

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, June 18

In a bid to ensure compliance of mandatory  online  monitoring of pollution norms  by June 30 from 17 categories of hazardous waste-emitting industries, the   Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)  has sought a status report from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)  about this compliance.

Sources in the board revealed that in a recent communication received from the  Central Pollution Control Board, the officials of the  SPCB  were directed to file their reply within three days, stating whether industries units falling under this 

category had installed devices for online monitoring of pollution control norms or not.

   The  Central Pollution Control Board had extended its deadline for installing such devices from March 31 to June 30 and all 17 categories of industrial units comprising manufacturers of  cement, leather, chemicals, paper, bulk drugs, etc are supposed to instal such devices in the stipulated time. According to the directions received from the  CPCB the  officials of the SPCB are supposed to ensure 

compliance, failing which the power connections of such units could be disconnected.

As many as  16 such industrial units  fall under this ambit in the state  and despite extension of the deadline, a majority of those were yet to adopt to such systems in totality.

Though the major cement units, including JP and Ambuja, had gone by the directions, others including bio-medical waste processing units, paper, bulk drug, chemical manufacturers, etc, were yet to make such systems functional. 

The  equipment,  while  facilitating  online monitoring of air and water pollution-related parameters in each industry, would ensure  regular working of pollution mitigation devices. 

Since the installation of such devices costs nearly Rs 10 lakh for a single unit, investors have been dithering over the issue.

The  Central Pollution Control Board has made this a mandatory procedure as it was found that air and water pollution emanating from such units was causing widespread air and water pollution due to laxity in regulation and failure of such units in running such devices for 24 hours.

Though measures such as interlocking of energy meters with pollution-control devices were introduced, it failed to contain pollution and treatment plants failed to be operational all the time. 

Member Secretary of the SPCB Vineet Kumar, while confirming the development, said they had already instructed the industrial units concerned to comply with the directions, failing which they would be compelled to take action as per the directions of the  Central Pollution Control Board.

Online monitoring, once introduced in the hazardous waste-emitting industrial units, would be synchronised with the  Central Pollution Control Board and this would enable real-time monitoring of water and air-related parameters while keeping a vigil on erring industrial units.