GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3875
TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2025
Industrial Pollution in Chandrapur
3875. SMT. DHANORKAR PRATIBHA SURESH:

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

(a) whether it is a fact that pollution is further increasing in Chandrapur district due to wrong policies of various industries;
(b) whether it is a fact that the Pollution Control Department is being neglected in Chandrapur district, if so, the steps to be taken by the Government in this matter;
(c) whether pollution in Chandrapur district is increasing due to use of old equipment by industries; and
(d) if so, the action proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?

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

(a) to (d): Chandrapur city has been declared as a Non-attainment City and is under National Clean Air Program (NCAP) for improvement in ambient air quality. Air Pollution Control Action Plan for the city prepared by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) is at various stages of implementation. CPCB carried out CEPI monitoring of Chandrapur (Maharashtra) during 2018 and the CEPI score was assessed as 76.41. Since CPCB categorized areas having CEPI score more than 70 as Critically Polluted Areas (CPAs), Chandrapur falls under Critically Polluted Area (CPA). CPCB has developed CEPI portal to facilitate SPCBs for submission of the monitoring reports and progress of the action plans. MPCB has prepared the action plans to mitigate environmental pollution.
In addition, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notifies “Standards for Emission or Discharge of Environmental Pollutants from various Industries” under Schedule-I of the Environment Protection Rules, 1986. The general standards as notified under Schedule-VI of the Environment Protection Rules, 1986 are applicable where specific standards are not available for the industrial sectors. The concerned SPCB/PCC ensures the implementation of said standards. CPCB has directed all 17 categories of high pollution potential industries and common waste treatment facilities to install Online Continuous Effluent/ Emission
Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) for strengthening monitoring mechanism and effective compliance through self-regulatory mechanism and constant vigil on pollution levels. Real-time values of environmental pollutants of trade effluent and emissions generated through OCEMS are transmitted online to CPCB and concerned SPCB/PCC on 24×7 basis. Central software processes the data and in case of value of pollutant parameter exceeds prescribed environmental norms, an automatic SMS alert is generated and sent to industrial unit, SPCB and CPCB, so that corrective measures can be taken by the industry immediately and appropriate action can be taken by concerned SPCB/PCC/CPCB.