Lok Sabha Question No. 47 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-18
Subject: Pollution caused by Rashtriya Chemicals Fertilizers Ltd.
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Sadashiv Kisan Lokhande

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.47

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2022

## Pollution caused by Rashtriya Chemicals Fertilizers Ltd.

## 47. SHRI SADASHIV KISAN LOKHANDE:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that Rashtriya Chemicals Fertilizers Limited situated in Trombay unit Mahul Road, Chembur, Mumbai in Maharashtra is causing pollution on large scale;
- (b) whether  it  is  also  a  fact  that  Maharashtra  Pollution  Control  Board,  Mumbai  has  also found above institute guilty in its enquiry report and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the action taken so far in this regard; and
- (d) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to make Chembur (Mumbai) area as pollution free?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) & (b): As per information received from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), MPCB  has  carried  out  site  visit  of  M/s  Rashtriya  Chemicals  Fertilizers  (RCF)  Limited, Chembur, Mumbai on 01.12.2021 and 05.01.2022 based on the complaint about ammonia gas release/leakage at M/s  RCF.  During  the  visit no irregularities were  noticed.  Online Continuous  Emission  Monitoring  System  reading  for  Ammonia  Emission  Stack  has  been well within the standards. Further, CAAQMS  (Continuous Ambient Air Quality MonitoringSystem) reports of both the stations are within the National Ambient Air Quality (NAAQ)  standards.  No  irregularity  was  observed  in  stack  sampling  report  of  Ammonia emissionof plant located at Suphala.

## (c) & (d)

No action is warranted / proposed as the industry is complying the norms by MPCB during the  visit.  However,  major  steps  taken  towards  control  of  pollution  from  industries  are  as follows:

-  For  strengthening  monitoring  mechanism  and  effective  compliance  through  selfregulatory  mechanism,  direction  has  been  issued  to  all  17  categories  of  highly polluting  industries  to  install  Online  Continuous  Effluent/  Emission  Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) for constant vigil on pollution levels.
-  Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)  issued directions under section 18(1) (b) to all State Pollution Control Boards / Pollution Control Committees (SPCBs/PCCs) on December 12, 2019 under Water (Prevention Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the

Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 regarding Inspection frequency for Environment Surveillance of Industries and directed to all SPCBs/PCCs to ensure that for  environmental surveillance, industries are inspected as per the prescribed frequency, unless there are reasons for exception for any particular State.

-  Industry specific discharge standards have been notified under Schedule-I: 'Standards for  Emission  or  Discharge  of  Environmental  Pollutants  from  various  Industries'  of Environment  Protection  Rules,  1986.  State  Pollution  Control  Boards  and  Pollution Control Committees in States and Union Territories respectively are adhered to ensure the compliance of these standards. So far, industry specific environmental standards, for about 80 industrial sectors, have been notified.
-  The SPCBs/PCCs issue consent to establish/ consent to operate and authorization to the  industries  in  the  States.  Also,  the  SPCBs/PCCs  monitor  the  compliance  of industrial emissions/effluent discharges and other operational activities according to the prescribed standards.

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