CHENNAI: Sterlite Copper, EID Parry and North Chennai Thermal Power Station are among the 52 industries in Tamil Nadu which are yet to submit information through Compliance Reporting Protocol (CRP) to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The CRPs have been developed to strengthen the system of online continuous emission or effluent monitoring systems being deployed across 17 categories for Gross Polluting Industries and other highly polluting industries.
Central Pollution Control Board has released the list of industries across the country which has not submitted information through CRP. According to CPCB website, 52 industries have not submitted the information by August 1, 2018.
This comes after CPCB on February 5, 2014 issued directions under section 18(1)b of the Water and Air Acts to State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees for directing the 17 categories of highly polluting industries for installation of online effluent quality and common emission monitoring systems to help track the discharges of pollutants from these units.
State pollution control boards have prescribed standards for various pollutants emitted or discharged by the industries as notified under the Environment (Protection) Act,1986. In a bid to ensure compliance monitoring and ensure that treated industrial effluent complying with the stipulated norms is only discharged by the industries, CPCB sought technological interventions to bring self-discipline in the industries to exercise self-monitoring and compliance and transmit data of effluent and emission to SPCB and to CPCB on a continuous basis. The need for a strategic shift in the method of enforcement of industrial pollution control was also necessitated by increasing demand for human and financial resources for many new activities.
When Express contacted EID Parry over two of its plants (one in Singulam Village in Sivaganga taluk and the other at Palayaseevaram village in Kancheepuram district) being named in the list, the company spokesperson said, “The two plants referred have been non-operational for over eight months due to non-availability of sugarcane because of poor monsoon and hence the online tracking with CPCB is inactive.”
“This status has been updated to TNPCB eight months back. We are in the process of updating the same to CPCB, post which the referred units would be removed from the said listing,” EID Parry said in a statement.
Similarly, Sterlite Copper Vedanta, based in Thoothkudi, said they have responded to all the notices before the plant was closed. “The standard is for online calibration of analysers which is for all industries. Sterlite will comply as and when we start operations,” said a company spokesman. However, North Chennai Thermal Power Station officials refused to respond when Express contacted them.
CPCB norms complied with, clarifies Anjan Drugs
Anjan Drugs located in Alathur in Thiruporur taluk has clarified that it has complied with the Central Pollution Control Board policy which stipulated installation of an online continuous effluent or emission monitoring system and connecting it with the CPCB server.“We have installed it and even have replied to the CPCB. We have complied with CPCB norms and have not been asked to shut down,” the pharma company said.
The Central Pollution Control Board issued a directive to the pharma company based in Kancheepuram district on July 25, 2018 to shut down operations with immediate effect until corrective actions were taken to comply with regulatory provisions. The letter said Anjan Drugs had failed to comply with the CPCB policy of April 2, 2018 that stipulated installation of online continuous effluent or emission monitoring system and connecting it with the CPCB server.T K Devi, general manager, Human Resources and Administration of the company told Express that the company complied with the CPCB norms in August 2016 and sent a letter dated June 1, 2018 to the CPCB chairman to withdraw the show-cause notice.
Tracking discharge
The CPCB in 2014 issued directions under section 18(1)b of Water and Air Acts to State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees for directing the 17 categories of highly polluting industries for installation of online effluent quality and common emission monitoring systems to help track the discharges of pollutants from the units
Non-operational
When Express contacted EID Parry over two of its plants (one in Sivaganga taluk and the other in Kancheepuram district) being named in the list, company spokesperson said, “The plants have been non-operational for 8 months due to non-availability of cane because of poor monsoon and hence the online tracking with CPCB is inactive.”