Upgrade Parwanoo lab in 90 days, SPCB told

Ambika Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Solan, October 21

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has given 90 days to the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) to upgrade its Parwanoo lab as per specifications of the National Accreditation Board for Calibration and Testing of Laboratories (NABL).

A team of NABL auditors, which had visited the lab last month, inspected various facilities and pointed out the shortcoming. Officials of the SPCB were now removing the deficiencies by undertaking calibration of their instruments from the National Research and Technology Consortium (NRTC) at Parwanoo. Though all modern equipment, including gas chromatography, absorption spectrometer, etc. required for undertaking various tests, were available in the lab, they had not been their calibrated from a NABL-approved facility earlier.

A principal scientific officer (PSO) and two senior lab assistants have also been transferred to the Parwanoo lab as per the staff structure devised by the NABL. Deficiencies in other levels, including placing adequate scientific officers at various levels, would also have to be met within 90 days to be eligible for availing the NABL certification.

Fire-fighting mechanisms such as sand buckets, carbon dioxide fire extinguisher, exits in case of emergencies, water showers for an acid spillover, etc. were also being put in place.

Dr TB Singh, PSO of the Parwanoo Central Llab, said more than 80 per cent of the instruments had been calibrated by the NRTC Parwanoo. He added that training of the staff and fulfilling staff deficiencies had also been worked out.

Documentation and online processes were already in place and the remaining deficiencies would soon be sorted out.