Lok Sabha Question No. 2169 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-05
Subject: Pollution Norms for Factories
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Ganesh Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2169

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.08.2024

## Pollution Norms for Factories

## 2169. SHRI GANESH SINGH:

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

- (a) whether  the  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  has  framed  certain  rules  and  norms  for factories operating across the country in view of environment conservation;
- (b) whether the bio-medical disposal factory is being managed by Indo-water Management and Pollution Control Corporation in Gram Panchayat Badkhera Tehsil Uhchahara under Lok Sabha Constituency Satna in Madhya Pradesh;
- (c) whether it is a fact that upon investigation by Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board, Management of said factory was found to be violating the rules and norms of the Board and was ordered to be closed with immediate effect, while at present it is still operational; and
- (d) the action being taken in this regard along with the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) to (d):

- (i) The  Ministry  of  Environment  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC),  Government  of India  notifies  'Standards  for  Emission  or  Discharge  of  Environmental  Pollutants  from various  Industries'  under  Schedule-I  of  Environment  Protection  Rules,  1986.  So  far,  79 industrial  specific  environmental  standards  have  been  notified.  The  industrial  sectors,  for which specific standards are not available, general standards as notified under Schedule-VI of Environment Protection Rules, 1986 are applicable.
- (ii) The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) categorizes industries into Red, Orange, Green and White categories, on the basis of Pollution Index (PI) which is a function of potential of water  pollution,  air  pollution,  and  hazardous  waste  generation.  CPCB  has  directed  State Pollution  Control  Boards  (SPCBs)/Pollution  Control  Committees  (PCCs)  to  inspect  Red, Orange, and Green categories of industries at a minimum inspection frequency of 6 months,

1  year  and  2  years,  for  verification  of  compliance  of  environmental  norms.  In  addition, common waste management/treatment facilities such as STPs, CETPs, CBMWTFs etc., and 17 categories of high pollution potential industries are to be inspected on quarterly basis by SPCBs/PCCs.

- (iii) The  SPCBs/PCCs  issue  consent  to  establish/  consent  to  operate  and  authorization  to  the industries in  the  States.  SPCBs/PCCs  monitor  the  compliance  of  industrial  effluent according  to  the  prescribed  norms.  In  case  of  non-compliance,  action  against  industry  is taken under the provisions of the Water Act, 1974, the Air Act, 1981 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- (iv) MoEF&CC has notified Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 which stipulates provision for treatment and disposal of biomedical waste in an environmentally sound manner.
- (v) Further,  CPCB  has  issued  following  guidelines  for  environmental  friendly  disposal  of biomedical waste:
- a) Guidelines for Monitoring Performance of CBWTFs by SPCBs/PCCs
- b) Revision  5:  Guidelines  for  Handling,  treatment  and  disposal  of  waste  generated during treatment, diagnostics and quarantine of COVID-19 patients
- c) Guidelines  for  "Imposition  of  Environmental  Compensation  against  HCFs  and CBWTFs"
- d) Guidelines for Verification of Two Seconds Residence Time in Secondary Combustion Chamber of the Biomedical Waste Incinerator
- e) Guidelines for Handling of Biomedical Waste for Utilization
- f) Guidelines for Management of Healthcare Waste in Health Care Facilities as per Bio Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016
- g) Guidelines for Bar Code System for Effective Management of Bio-Medical Waste
- h) Revised Guidelines for  Common  Bio-medical  Waste  Treatment  and  Disposal Facilities
- i) Environmentally Sound Management of Mercury Waste Generated from Health Care Facilities.

As  per  Annual  Report  information  for  year  2022  related  to  biomedical  waste  management submitted by Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB), biomedical waste generated from  cities  namely  Satna,  Panna,  Rewa,  Sidhi  &  Singrauli  is  being  treated  and  disposed  off through M/s. Indo Water Management & Pollution Control Corporation, Badkhera, Satna.

Further, summary of actions taken by CPCB against the facility is as follows:

- (i) Show Cause Notice was issued to M/s. Indo Water Management & Pollution Control Corporation,  Badkhera,  Satna  by  CPCB  on  09.03.2021  for  non-compliances  to Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 (BMWM Rules, 2016) directing the unit to take corrective measures.
- (ii) Subsequently, the facility was re-inspected on 28.05.2021 and 16-17 June, 2021 by a joint  team  of  District  Collector,  Regional  Directorate,  CPCB  and  MPPCB  as  per directions  of  Hon'ble  NGT  and  during  the  said  inspection  gross  violations  were observed.
- (iii) Accordingly,  the  facility  was  temporarily  closed  as  per  directions  of  MPPCB  and Environmental Compensation of ₹1,53,000 was imposed on the facility by MPPCB. The  facility  submitted  Environmental  Compensation  of  ₹1,53,000  to  MPPCB  and closure order issued by MPPCB was revoked.
- (iv) Further,  based  on  observations  of  CPCB  during  aforesaid  joint  inspection  of  the facility, CPCB  again issued directions dated 10.08.2021 to M/s Indo water management  and  pollution  control  corporation  directed  to  take  necessary  corrective measures w.r.t. action points mentioned in the direction and to deposit Environmental Compensation Charges Rs. 30,81,250/- in CPCB account.
- (v) Subsequently,  follow-up  was  being  done  by  CPCB  and  since  the  facility  was  not complied to aforesaid directions of CPCB. The facility was re-inspected on 10.01.2024 by CPCB, wherein non-compliances were again observed by CPCB.
- (vi) Therefore, CPCB requested MPPCB to provide information regarding alternate facility for  disposal  of  biomedical  waste  generated  from  member  healthcare  facilities  of  the facility in case of closure. MPPCB vide letter dated 11.07.2024 provided the name of alternate  facility  for  disposal  of  biomedical  waste  in  case  of  closure  of  M/s.  Indo Water Management & Pollution Control Corporation, Badkhera, Satna.

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