Monday, 25 July 2011

PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF POLLUTION

[Industrial Pollution Abatement through preventive strategies,
Development and Promotion of Cleaner Technologies, Taj Protection
Mission, Environmental Health, Noise Pollution, Air Pollution, Vehicular
Pollution Control, Industrial Pollution Control, Common Effluent
Treatment Plants, Zoning Atlas, Establishment of Environment Protection
Authority, Central Pollution Control Board, Hazardous Substances
Management]
The enhanced pace of developmental activities and rapid urbanization have resulted in
stress on natural resources and quality of life. The trend of increasing pollution in various
environmental media is evident from the deteriorating air and water quality, higher noise
levels, increasing vehicular emission etc. Realising the urgent need for arresting the trend,
Ministry adopted policy for Abatement of Pollution which provides for several mechanisms
in the form of regulations, legislation, agreements, fiscal incentives and other measures to
prevent and abate pollution. Further, realizing that conventional pollution control approach
by treatment at the end of the pipe is not delivering the desired benefits in terms of resource
conservation, the thrust has been shifted to pollution prevention and control through
promotion of clean and low waste technology, re-use and recycling, natural resource
accounting, Environmental Audit and Institutional and Human Resource Development. To
give effect to various measures and policies on ground, multi-pronged approach is adopted
which includes stringent regulations, Development of Environmental Standards, Control of
Vehicular Pollution, preparation of Zoning Atlas for Spatial Environmental Planning
including Industrial Estates etc.
Major activities carried out under several programmes/schemes during the year are as
follows :
Industrial Pollution Abatement through preventive strategies
This scheme is an amalgamation of the three on-going schemes viz. Environmental
Audit, Adoption of Clean Technologies in Small Scale Industries and Environmental
Statistics and Mapping, which have been continuing since eighth Five Year Plan. Due to
encouraging results and benefits to various small scale units, these schemes are being
continued during the 10th Five Year Plan also:
Environmental Statement (As a part of Environmental Audit)
Environmental audit is a management tool and provides a structure and comprehensive
mechanism for ensuring that the activities and products of an enterprise do no cause
unacceptable effects on the environment. Submission of an Environmental Statement by
polluting units seeking consent either under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution)
Act, 1974 or the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 or both and the
Authorization under the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 has
been made mandatory through a Gazette Notification of April, 1993 under the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986. The Environmental Statement enables the units to undertake a
comprehensive look at their industrial operations and facilities, understanding of material
flows and focus on areas where waste reduction and consequently saving in-put cost if
possible. The primary benefit of environmental audit is that it ensures cost effective
compliance of laws, standards, regulations, company policies etc.
During the year, action has been initiated to evolve model environmental statements in
various sectors for facilitating comparison in use of raw material, water conservation, energy
consumption etc. A project has been sponsored to Central Pollution Control Board for
evolving model environmental statement in the eight sectors viz. Sugar, Thermal Power
Projects, Cement, Paper and Pulp, Pesticides, Bulk Drugs, Tanneries and Textiles Activities.
Waste Minimisation/Cleaner Production
Waste minimization is one of the strategies adopted for minimizing the industrial
pollution. The objective of the scheme is to assist the small and medium scale industry in
adoption of cleaner production practices. A project has been sponsored to National
Productivity Council on “Waste Minimisation in Small Scale Industries” for establishment
and running of waste minimization circles in clusters of small scale industries, capacity
building in areas of cleaner production, establishment of demonstration units in selected
industrial sectors etc. So far 115 waste minimization circles have been established through
out the country and a large number of Organizations and Institutions have been trained in
waste minimization activities. The project was executed till November, 2002 under the World
Bank project on Industrial Pollution Prevention (IPP) as Phase-I and Phase-II is now being
continued with Ministry’s internal funds. Implementation of this project has helped in
identification of more than 200 options for resource and energy conservation in various small
scale industries.
Environmental Statistics and Mapping
For sound Environmental Management, reliable information base and the mapping of
areas needing special attention for pollution prevention and control are a pre-requisite. As a
step in the direction, projects and pilot studies have been initiated through various research
institutions and organizations. Under this program, following studies have been initiated and
are in various stages of completion :
- GIS based Hydrological Modelling for Water Quality and Quantity in Cauvery River
Basin by IIT, Delhi.
- Geochemical baseline Mapping for Environmental Management by National
Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad.

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