Activities

Table of Content:

Industrial Pollution Control

Categorisation of industries: Depending upon the pollution potential of different industries, the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) has classified the industrial units into three different categories: 'Red', 'Orange' and 'Green'. The Red category units have maximum pollution potential, the Orange category units have moderate pollution potential and the Green units have the least pollution potential. Further, considering the degree of pollution among the Red units, these are classified into 'Special Red' and 'Ordinary Red' categories.

Industrial Siting Policy: In combating industrial pollution, the transparent industrial siting policy of the Board is in place. Under this policy, the red industries are not permitted in KMA areas, and orange industries are not permitted in KMC and HMC areas, except the industrial estates of KMC and HMC. This policy does not permit a few water-intensive and highly polluting industrial units having high water consumption within 10-km radius of the Calcutta Leather Complex at Bantala. A total of 334 grossly polluted industries were identified for regulatory compliance on an immediate basis. The WBPCB ensures that compliance is attained through negotiated agreements and technical guidance. While stricter emission standards were introduced for boilers, ceramic kilns, foundries and rolling mills in KMA, use of cleaner fuel was made mandatory for small boilers in KMC, rolling mills in Howrah and ceramic kilns in KMA.

Consent Administration: Under the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, any industry, operation or process or an extension and addition thereto, which is likely to discharge sewerage or trade effluent into the environment or likely to emit any air pollution into the atmosphere will have to obtain consent of the State Pollution Control Board. There are different types of consent issued under the provisions of Water (P&CP) Act 1974 and Air (P&CP) Act, 1981.

Promotional Role of the WBPCB: As part of its promotional role, consent administration for small-scale industries were simplified and decentralised through General Managers of District Industries Centre, District Land and Land Reforms Officers and Regional Officers of the Board. The WBPCB provides financial assistance for change of fuel in small boilers and ceramic kilns within the KMC area. The Board works in close association with various NGOs, academic institutions, Chambers of Commerce and Industry Associations. The establishment of West Bengal Cleaner Production Centre in collaboration with National Cleaner Production Centre and Indian Chamber of Commerce is a case in point.

 

Environmental Monitoring

The WBPCB monitors various parameters of air, water and noise.

Ambient air quality monitoring: This is conducted at various monitoring stations in the state and near the polluting clusters of industries. Specific parameters like the benzene levels are detected in and near the petrol pumps of Kolkata. Presently, the Board is monitoring the air quality through a large network of air monitoring stations as shown below:

Besides, the Board also monitors air quality round-the-clock through its five automatic air quality monitoring stations, which are installed at Victoria Memorial Hall premises and Rabindra Bharati University at Kolkata, Howrah, Haldia and Durgapur. These automatic air quality monitoring stations continuously monitors the parameters like RPM, SO2, NO2, CO, O3, HC and meteorological parameters like wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, temperature etc.

Water quality monitoring: The WBPCB regularly monitors water quality of rivers, such as Hooghly, Damodar, Barakar and Rupnarayan by analysing the physico-chemical, bacteriological and biological parameters. Under the Ganga Action Plan (GAP), the Board monitors the water quality of river Hooghly and under the Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources (MINARS) programme, the Board monitors the water quality of the rivers Damodar, Barakar and Rupnarayan. The river water samples are collected every month from eight stations of river Hooghly, four stations of river Damodar, one station of river Barakar and one station of river Rupnarayan.

Noise Pollution Monitoring: The noise characteristics from various sources, especially the areas in and around hospitals and schools in Kolkata, and its impact on human health are studied. Noise monitoring is specially done during festive days.

 

Waste Management

Hazardous Waste Management: In its endeavour to manage hazardous waste, the WBPCB has identified the industrial units generating hazardous waste. The Board has established a Common Hazardous Waste Treatment Storage & Disposal Facility at Haldia. This facility is being set up jointly by the Haldia Development Authority (HDA) and M/s. Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd., who have formed a joint venture company named M/s. West Bengal Waste Management Ltd.

Solid Waste Management: Under the provisions of the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, the Department of Urban Development, Government of West Bengal and the District Magistrates of the concerned districts have the responsibility of the management of municipal solid waste in West Bengal. The WBPCB has impressed upon the municipalities and the district authorities to comply with the provisions of the Rules from time to time.

Biomedical Waste Management: The Board has developed a Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility at Howrah. The facility, set up by M/s Medicare Incin Pvt. Ltd., is operating successfully. Segregated bio-medical wastes are being collected from Kolkata, Howrah and the adjoining areas. Other such common waste treatment and disposal facilties are being developed at Kalyani, Mangalpur (Raniganj).

 

Inventory of Solid Waste

Click here to view Final Report on Waste Inventory (MSW & BMW) in West Bengal.

 

Recycled Plastic Waste Management

 

Legal and Public Grievance Cell

In order to regulate pollution from different sources, the WBPCB legally deals with the non-complying units of the state. Various legal actions are taken against the polluting industries. Apart from imposing fines, bank guarantees are obtained from the pollution units, which are forfeited on compliance within the stipulated time period. In addition, the Board has constituted an Appellate Authority under the Water and the Air Acts.

In order to address and minimise public resentment against environmental problems in the state, the Public Grievance Cell of the Board is functioning since 1994. Public hearings are organised at Paribesh Bhaban, Salt Lake, the headoffice of the Board, where the aggrieved complainant and the industry/unit concerned are asked to appear before the hearing authority. After careful consideration of the representations from both the sides, necessary directions are issued.

 

Automobile Pollution Control

Various steps were taken for controlling automobile emissions in the state. In the year 2000, the Board pioneered in introducing EURO-I (India 2000) and EURO-II (Bharat Stage II) norms for the new fleet of vehicles, way before the same was done in the other states of our country. While India 2000 norms were introduced for all new vehicles on April 1st, Bharat Stage II norms were introduced for new passenger cars within KMA on December 31st. For all new vehicles with GVW3500kg and GVW>3500kg of KMA, stricter emission standards were introduced by the Board with effect from October 23, 2001. Supply of unleaded petrol (containing 0.013 per cent lead) and 0.25 per cent reduction of sulphur content in diesel was made available from February 1, 2000 throughout the state. Very low sulphur (0.05 per cent) petrol and diesel were made available in KMA from January 1, 2001. In the same year, while the use, sale and distribution of loose 2T oil for two-stroke petrol vehicles were banned in KMA on October 1st, dispensation of 2T oil-premixed petrol through dedicated dispenser was started with effect from November 15. In June 2000, benzene content in petrol was reduced to 3 per cent. As per the directions of the Supreme Court, the state government has submitted an action plan on automobile pollution control in September 2000. In association with the State Department of Transport, the Board has facilitated the setting up of computerised and upgraded Emission Testing Centres (AETCs) and Pollution-under-Check (PUC) centres in West Bengal.

Click here to view the List of Computerized & Upgraded Auto Emission Testing Centers / PUC Centers in West Bengal

 

Noise Pollution Monitoring and Control

The Board continued its endeavour for controlling noise in the state by banning the manufacture, sale and bursting of firecrackers generating noise level more than 90dB(AI) at 5m from the point of bursting. A sound delimiter, for controlling noise pollution from microphones, was also developed in association with Webel. The State Board directed that for use of Diesel Generator set(s) of capacity 15KVA and above for non-industrial purposes, i.e. residential buildings, commercial buildings, office complex, cinema halls, banks, educational institutions etc, should require 'Consent to Establish' and 'Consent to Operate' from the Board, with effect from January 1, 2002.

 

Training And Awareness Program

The Board continuously conducts various training programmes with people from different sections of the society like school children, police and transport authorities, district and municipal authorities. Short term programmes on environmental pollution, noise and automobile pollution are also organised from time to time.

Workshops and training camps are often organised for the NGOs, a total of 223 NGOs have been enlisted by the Board. Anti-noise pollution campaign and observation of World Environment Day are some of the regular events conducted by the Board. Movie fillers have been prepared on automobile horns on sound limiters. Apart from this, competitions on essay writing, painting, quiz, debate and drama are organised for the school children all on environment-related issues, with the elementary idea of spreading environmental awareness.

 

National Green Corps

The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India had launched a 'National Green Corps' (NGC) scheme in schools all over the country to spread environmental awareness and carry out action based programmes for the protection and improvement of the environment. The NGC programme aims to provide opportunities for children to understand the environment and environmental problems, through school eco-clubs. The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) is the State Nodal Agency for the implementation and Paschim Banga Vigyan Mancha is the State Implementing Agency of this programme in our state. The NGC programme in West Bengal is functional in 150 schools (approximately) in each of the 19 districts that account for a total number of 2850 schools in the state.

 

Special Projects

ICEF (India-Canada Environment Facility) Project: In order to contain emission from the small-scale industries located within Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA), the Board directed these industries to convert their coal fired boilers and ceramic kilns to oil or gas fired ones within a time frame. Besides issuing statutory direction, the Board also arranged financial assistance for such change over through a project titled "ICEF Project on Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimisation for Small-Scale Industrial Units in Kolkata Metropolis Area". A similar scheme is extended to the plastic recycle units for installation of pollution control devices for reducing air pollution.

ADB Project on 'Strengthening Environmental Management at the State Level': The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Board has undertaken this Technical Assistance (TA) project to prepare policy-oriented documents. These include study papers on air quality management in Kolkata, management of hazardous waste in West Bengal, management of wetlands of the state and a partial assistance to the Board's "Environment Management Information System" Development Project.

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