Explainer: Why NCR factories are getting a camera check-up
The air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) is deteriorating by the day. To curb air pollution, the Commission of Air Quality Management (CAQM) has imposed Stage-2 of the graded response action plan (GRAP), while the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has directed the Member Secretaries of State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs), and the Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) of four regions — Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan — to ensure the installation of pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) cameras and online continuous effluent/emission monitoring systems (OCEMS) at boilers of textile, food, and metal industries in NCR districts before December 31 this year. As per CPCB data, the air quality index of in Delhi has been recorded at ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’. Other NCR areas — in Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan — face a similar plight.
What directions has the pollution board issued?
The CPCB has issued directions for the continuous monitoring and control of pollution in air-polluting industrial areas located in the NCR under Section 18 (1)(b) of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
Bharat Kumar Sharma, Member Secretary, CPCB, said SPCBs and PCCs were required to ensure the installation and regular operation of requisite pollution control facilities in pollution-causing industries.
To strengthen the monitoring systems and effective compliance through a self-regulatory mechanism, the CPCB had asked SPCBs and PCCs to direct all red-category industries in the 23 districts of the NCR to install an OCEAMS and to ensure connection with the servers of SPCBs and the CPCB in December 2017.
In April 2018, the CPCB had directed SPCBs and PCCs to incorporate a specific condition in the Consent Order (CTO) for newly established industries falling under 17 category industries and common treatment facilities, commissioned after February 28, 2017. The condition states that these should install an online continuous effluent/emission monitoring system (OCEMS) and connect with the CPCB server before the start of operations.
Tightening the noose over pollution norm violators, the CPCB had directed the SPCBs/PCCs of the region to ensure closure of all medium and large-scale red-category air polluting industries that had not installed OCEAMS, or connected these with CPCB and SPCB/PCC servers in June 2019.
How many air-polluting industries are in NCR?
As per reports, a total of 2361 units were found to be engaged in substantial air pollution in three sectors — food and food processing, textile, and metal processing. The CPCB found that only 351 of these units has installed the OCEMS, and connected with the CPCB server. As many as 2,010 industrial units of these three sectors had either not installed OCEMS, or not connected it with the CPCB server.
What does the CPCB say?
The CPCB, in its directions, said OCEMS should be installed for monitoring the particulate matter (PM) parameter in boilers of textile, and food and food processing industries. PTZ cameras should be installed as per standard operating procedure. The CPCB said, in the case of metal industries, OCEMS should be installed for monitoring parameters — PM, SO2, and NOx in all furnaces using met-cock, LSHS/Ultra or very low sulphur oil as fuel.
Delhi