Centre determined to strengthen compliance regime on pollution: Javadekar

Javadekar stated that the government wanted to provide 'Ease of Doing Responsible Business', but pollution-related challenges would have to be addressed.

Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said the government has taken pollution seriously and is determined to strengthen compliance regime on pollution in the country.

Addressing the two-day conference of Chairmen and Member Secretaries of the Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees being held here, Javadekar proposed the establishment of a new Pollution Research Institute to look into all pollution-related aspects.

However, he added that the establishment of the institute was in a conceptual stage.

He also gave a call for more widespread participation of the State Pollution Control Boards and suggested that such conferences should be held every six months, both at the central and regional level.

The Environment Minister said that his ministry's emphasis would be on establishing a compliance regime and to send a message that violations would prove to be expensive.

Javadekar also stated that the government wanted to provide 'Ease of Doing Responsible Business', but pollution-related challenges would have to be addressed.

He said that a discussion on the concept of development without destruction, sustainable development; discussion on air pollution, industrial pollution, sand mining, pollution of rivers and waste management was a good development, as it increased awareness in the society.

He emphasised that there was a need to be more responsive on tackling pollution, as the Ministry's mission was to maintain balance between five elements of nature and protect them.

He highlighted that for the first time, the Ministry had moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against five municipalities in Uttar Pradesh for not responding to the directions issued for sewage treatment.

Speaking on the occasion, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) chairman A.K. Mehta said that the forests and mangroves coverage had increased.

He said that online monitoring of polluting industrial units and Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index (CEPI) had been revised and a fresh classification of industries had been done.

Some of the issues discussed at the two-day conference, which concludes today, include - restoration of water quality of 302 identified polluted river stretches, re-categorisation of industries and actions for control of pollution, management of online data from 17 categories of industries and taking actions based on violations, action to be taken against municipalities for sewage and solid waste management and monitoring progress on implementation of action plans in critically polluted area based on revised formula.

The states also agreed to implement the new Waste Management Rules notified by the Ministry in March 2016.