Lok Sabha Question No. 3689 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-16
Subject: Penalties under Polluter Pay Principle
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Patel Umeshbhai Babubhai

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3689

TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2026

## Penalties under Polluter Pay Principle

## 3689. SHRI PATEL UMESHBHAI BABUBHAI:

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

- (a) the total number of inspectors deployed in Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Control Committee and the number of surprise inspections conducted so far;
- (b) whether a Special Environment Task Force has been constituted in the said Union Territories and the quantum of environmental compensation recovered so far;
- (c)  the  number  of  pharma  companies  have  been  issued  pollution  control  certificates  without  actual inspection along with the details of companies emitting harmful chemicals beyond the prescribed standards;
- (d) whether any action has been taken against the responsible companies, if so, the details thereof and if not, the details of the standards and parameters in this regard;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to impose heavy penalties on the responsible companies under the "Polluter Payment Principle'' and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government has any plan to set up an independent environment monitoring authority and if so, the time by which it is likely to be set up and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

( a) to (f): Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Pollution Control Committee (DNH & DD PCC) has deployed team of 11 technical officers for enforcing environmental compliance in industries located in UT of DNH & DD. A total of 196 surprise inspections were carried out in 2024-25 in DNH region.  In  FY  2024-25,  environmental  compensation  of  ₹27,54,500/-  has  been  imposed  on  various industries.

It  is  mandated  for  all  the  industries  to  obtain  Consent  to  Establish/Consent  to  Operate  from  the respective  State  Pollution  Control  Boards/Pollution  Control  Committee  (SPCBs/PCCs)  as  per  the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. SPCBs/PCCs ensure the compliance of prescribed standards notified by  the  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEFCC),  Government  of  India.

MoEFCC  has  notified  the  standards  for  pharmaceutical  industries  vide  G.S.R.  541(E)  dated  6th August, 2021. In the UT of DNH & DD, all industries are mandatorily required to ensure adequate treatment of wastewater and to undertake reuse and/or recycling of the treated effluent within their respective premises. Discharge or release of effluent into any river is strictly prohibited.

The  industrial  units  are  primarily  monitored  across  the  country  through  Central  Pollution  Control Board (CPCB) and SPCBs, which are responsible for ensuring compliance with environmental norms at  the  national  and  state  level  respectively.  To  strengthen  enforcement  and  ensure  compliance  with environmental standards, CPCB has issued directions u/s 18(1)(b) of the Water and the Air Act to all SPCBs/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. CPCB also carries out surprise inspection-cum-monitoring of 17 categories industries and common waste treatment facilities, which are selected randomly based on SMS alerts, generated through OCEMS, installed in these industries.

*****