CPCB warns industries against tampering with data

CPCB STATED THAT IT HAS STARTED CHECKING TAMPERING WITH MONITORING SYSTEMS THROUGH REMOTE CALIBRATION FACILITY

CHANDIGARH: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has warned highly polluting industries who have installed online continuous emission/effluent monitoring system (OCEMS) against any kind of tampering with data.

In a recent communication, the CPCB stated that it has started checking OCEMS tampering through remote calibration facility.

Besides, all state pollution control boards (SPCBS) and pollution control committees (PCCS) have also been advised to check tampering through remote calibration.

In February 2014, the CPCB directed 17 categories of highly polluting industries across the country for installation of OCEMS to help track the discharge of pollutants from these units. After the initial teething problems with respect to installation and compliances, there were allegations that industries were tampering the pollution monitoring data.

CPCB chairman SPS Parihar,

who was in Chandigarh recently had stressed the need for a tamper-proof data transfer to the regulatory authorities with respect to the working of CEMS.

138 HIGHLY POLLUTING UNITS IN HARYANA

Under 17 categories of highly polluting industries, Haryana has 138 units. As many as 96 of these industries in fall in the nationa capital region (NCR).

89 SUCH UNITS IN PUNJAB

Punjab has 89 such industries, including 5 thermal power plants, 6 iron and steel industries, 20 sugar mills and19 pharmaceutical enterprises.

Himachal Pradesh has 18 such units across Baddi (6), Parwanoo (5), Paonta Sahib (3), Unna (1) and Bilaspur (3). Himachal also has more than 3,100 hazardous waste generating industries.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir has just four such industrial units, including three cement plants and one distillery. Chandigarh has not even a single industry falling in this category.