Lok Sabha Question No. 2786 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-03
Subject: Water and Noise Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: NATUBHAI GOMANBHAI PATEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOKSABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2786

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2018

## Water and Noise Pollution

## 2786. SHRI NATUBHAI GOMANBHAI PATEL:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken steps to reduce water and noise pollution in the country; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a)  &  (b)  Steps  taken  by  Government  to  mitigate  water  pollution, inter  alia, include preparation  and  implementation  of    action  plans  for  critically  polluted  areas  through    the concerned  State  Pollution  Control  Boards  (SPCBs)/Pollution  Control  Committees  (PCCs); notification of industry specific effluent standards under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; issuance of  Consent to Establish/ Consent to Operate to industries;  compliance of the notified  standards  related  to  industrial  discharges  and  other  operational  activities;  carrying out surprise inspection of highly polluting large and medium units; directions for  installation of online effluent and emission monitoring systems for continuous check on pollution levels; revised  criteria  for  categorization  of  industries;  and  issuance  of  various  directions  under Water  (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act,  1974,  Air  (Prevention  and  Control  of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

This Ministry also supplements the efforts of the State Governments in abatement of pollution in identified stretches of various rivers under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP),  on  cost  sharing  basis  between  the  Central  and  the  State  Governments.  NRCP (excluding Ganga and its tributaries which is handled by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation from 01.08.2014 onwards) has so far covered polluted stretches of 32 rivers in 76 towns spread over 14 States at a sanctioned cost of Rs. 4581.91 crore and Central share of Rs. 2258.72 crore has been released to the State Government for implementation  of  various  pollution  abatement  schemes.  Sewage  treatment  capacity  of 2472.43 mld (million litres per day)  has been created so far under NRCP.

The  steps  taken  to  reduce  noise  pollution, inter-alia, include  notification  of    Noise (Regulation & Control) Rules, 2000, monitoring of ambient noise levels by Central Pollution Control  Board  in  association  with  SPCBs  in  7  metropolitan  cities,advisories for  noise monitoring on the occasion of Diwali, prohibition of the use of fireworks between 10.00 p.m. and 06.00 a.m., publicity  regarding the ill  effects  of  fire-crackers,  sensitization  of students through  course  curriculum  besides  general  awareness  building  of  public  at  large  to  avoid bursting of fire-crackers,  and issuance  of  directions  under  Section  5  of  Environment (Protection)  Act,  1986  and  under  section  18(1)  (b)  of  Air  (Prevention  and  Control  of Pollution) Act, 1981.

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