Lok Sabha Question No. 1923 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-06
Subject: Environmental Impact mitigators in the Chemical Industry
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Shri Bidyut Baran Mahato

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICALS AND PETROCHEMICALS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1923 ANSWERED ON 06/12/2024

## ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT MITIGATORS IN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

## 1923. SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

Will the Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers be pleased to state:

(a)  the  measures  taken  /  proposed  to  be  taken  to  ensure  that  chemical  plants  and  fertilizer manufacturing units in India comply with environmental regulations and  are equipped with pollution control technologies.

(b) whether the government is working to mitigate the impact of hazardous chemical spills or leaks, particularly in sensitive areas, where agriculture and water resources are heavily reliant on environmental quality, if so, the details thereof: and

(c)  whether  any  initiatives  are  being  implemented  to  encourage  green  chemistry  and  the development  of  environmental  friendly  alternatives  to  chemical  fertilizers,  especially  in context of agriculture in Jharkhand and Rajasthan, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

( a) The Government of India has implemented various measures to ensure that chemical plants and  fertilizer  manufacturing  units  in  India  comply  with  environmental  regulations  and  are equipped with effective pollution control technologies. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  has  prescribed  environmental  standards  for  various pollutants under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. All industrial units, including chemical and fertilizer plants, are required to comply with these standards to control air, water, and soil pollution.

Various environment regulations that have been formulated are as under:

 The  Environment  Impact  Assessment  Notification  2006 by  MoEF&CC, mandates  any  project  or  activity  likely  to  cause  significant  environmental  impacts, including chemical and fertilizer manufacturing units, must undergo an Environment

Impact Assessment (EIA) and prepare Environment Management Plan before obtaining Environmental Clearance (EC).

-  These industries are also required to obtain Consent to Operate (CTO) under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and the Water
- (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act,  1974,  to  ensure  compliance  with pollution control norms.
-  The compliance of EC conditions is monitored by the Regional Office of MoEF&CC for Category 'A' projects and by the State Pollution Control Boards   (SPCBs) or Pollution  Control  Committees  (PCCs)  for  Category  'B'  projects.  Similarly,  the compliance of CTO conditions is monitored by the respective SPCBs/PCCs. This multi-layered monitoring system ensures that industries operate in an environmentally responsible manner.
-  Hazardous  Chemicals  Safety  Regulations: The  MoEF&CC  administers  the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals (MSIHC) Rules, 1989 (as amended),  and  the  Chemical  Accidents  (Emergency  Planning,  Preparedness  and Response) Rules, 1996 (CAEPPR Rules, 1996) (as amended). These rules establish preventive mechanisms for chemical safety in industrial operations. The occupiers of Major Accident Hazard (MAH) units are required to conduct annual safety audits and update their Safety Audit Reports. They must also prepare and update the Onsite Emergency Plan.
-  Off-site  Emergency  Plans: The  MSIHC  Rules,  1989  assign  responsibility  for preparing the Off-site Emergency Plan to the District Collector or designated District Emergency Authority (DEA) in each district. The Chief Inspector of Factories (CIF), appointed under the Factories Act, 1948, assists the DEA in preparing these plans, ensuring coordinated action in case of chemical emergencies.

Initiative taken by the Government with respect to pollution control technologies are as under:

-  It is mandatory for all the Chemical industries including Chemical Fertilizer industries to  have  adequate  Effluent  Treatment  System  and  adequate  Air  Pollution  Control System and to comply with the prescribed effluent and emission discharge standards.
-  Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued directions to all 17 categories of highly  polluting  industries  including  Certain  Chemicals  and  Fertilizer  industries  to install Online Continuous Effluent / Emission Monitoring System (OCEMS) with real time data connectivity with CPCB. CPCB conducts regular inspections of the industries based on the alerts of OCEMS or if OCEMS becomes offline. Based on the observations of inspections, CPCB takes action on the defaulter industries as per extant rules.

Initiative taken by the Government to ensure the compliance w.r.t.  Regulations/notifications are as under:

-  Central Pollution Control Board / State Pollution Control Boards / Pollution Control Committees take action on those industries that fail to comply with the notified effluent and emission discharge standards.
-  In  case  of  any  environmental  damage  caused  by  the  chemical  industries,  then environmental compensation is being paid by the companies based on the estimates as per the laid down guidelines

(b) To  avoid  incidents  that  include  spills  and  leakages  of  hazardous  chemicals,  Central Pollution Control Board along with Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in coordination with other concerned authorities has prepared the guidelines titled 'Integrated Guidance  Framework  for  Chemicals  Safety'  in  respect  of  isolated  storage  and  industries covered under the Manufacture, Storage and  Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989. These  guidelines  were  circulated  by  CPCB  to  all  state  pollution  control  board  /  pollution control committees in 2021 for implementation.

Considerable spills and leakages of hazardous chemical are likely to cause significant contamination of environment viz. soil, surface  water and  groundwater,  such contaminated sites  are  further  required  to  be  investigated  for  assessing  extent  of  contamination  and  for planning  of  necessary  remediation  work.  In  this  regard,  CPCB  has  prepared  Reference Document on Identification, Inspection and Assessment of Contaminated Sites.

The  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  has  also  prepared  Guidance document for assessment and remediation of contaminated sites in India.

(c) Various initiatives taken by the Government are as under:

-  Centres  of  Excellence  have  been  established  by  the  Department  of  Chemicals  and Petrochemicals (DCPC) to undertake research in development of biodegradable and bio- based chemicals and polymers for various applications.
-  The  Government  has  approved  the  Market  Development  Assistance  (MDA)  at  Rs. 1500/MT  to  promote  organic  fertilizers  produced  at  plants  under  GOBARdhan initiative.
-  HIL  (India)  Ltd.  (a  Govt.  of  India  Enterprise,  under  the  Dept.  of  Chemicals  & Petrochemicals) is working on the commercialisation of neem based biopesticides with technology support from Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (IPFT).
-  HIL (India) Ltd. is also working on the commercialization of Bti ( Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) based bio-larvicides with technology support of Indian Council of Medical Research's Vector Control Research Institute.
-  The Dept. of Biotechnology has launched BioE3 policy which will play a catalytic role to drive industrial biotransformation in the country and to ensure sustainable bio-based production  of  high-value  specialty  chemicals,  enzymes  and  biopolymers  through synthetic biology and genetic engineering.

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