Lok Sabha Question No. 1909 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-29
Subject: Release of Untreated Waste Water by Companies
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Queen Oja, Bharatiben Dhirubhai Shyal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1909

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2019

## Release of Untreated Waste Water by Companies

## 1909.   SHRIMATI QUEEN OJA:

## DR. BHARATIBEN DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of several companies discharging untreated waste into the ground resulting in contamination of ground water thereby giving rise to fatal diseases like cancer and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  make  a  provision  for  stringent  punishment against such companies, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the details of such cases which have come to the notice of the Government during the last five years along with the action taken on the same;
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  launch  awareness  programmes  to  check  such incidents; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

(a) As  per  the  industry  specific  environmental  standards  notified  by  the  Government under  the  provisions  of  the  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986,  discharge  of  treated  or untreated wastewater from industry into the groundwater is not allowed, except in oil drilling sector where re-injection of treated wastewater, meeting the norms, is allowed in abandoned well  at  a  depth  of  1000 metres  from the ground level. All  industries are required to install Effluent  Treatment  Plant  (ETP)  for  treatment  of  wastewater  as  per  the  conditions  in  the Consent to Operate issued by the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/ Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Only treated effluent, meeting the standards, is permitted to be discharged into surface water/ land for irrigation.

(b) & (c) Provision  for  penalty  is  provided  under  Section  15  of  the  Environment (Protection)  Act,  1986  for  contravention  of  the  provisions  of  the  Act  and  the  Rules.  The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in pursuance of directions of the Hon'ble National Green  Tribunal  has  formulated  the  environmental  compensation  to  be  levied  on  industrial units. CPCB has issued directions to industries falling in the 17 categories of highly polluting industries to install Online Continuous Effluent/ Emission Monitoring System (OCEMS) to track discharges of pollutants from these units. During 2016-17, CPCB started a scheme of inspection  of  these  industries  based  on  the  computer  generated  alerts.  Industries  for inspection are selected on the basis of Short Message Service (SMS) alert generated from the online monitoring systems. A total of 663 industries have been inspected till 21.11.2019 and 385 directions have been issued under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to non-complying industries.

(d) & (e) CPCB, from time to time, organizes training programmes and workshops for stakeholders  for  awareness  generation.  During  2018  and  2019  the  following  training programmes and workshops were organized:

-  Training  for  Common  Effluent  Treatment  Plant  (CETP)  operators  in  Delhi  and Haryana for effluent management by CETPs.
-  Trainings  and  workshops  for  various  industrial  sectors  such  as  textiles,  sugar, tanneries and pulp & paper for water conservation and effluent management.
-  Training for implementation of charter Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) located in Ganga River.
-  Workshop on restoration of water bodies/rejuvenation of polluted rivers.

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