Out of the 60,000 industries in the state, barely 2.5% have filed their annual environmental statement with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.
Out of the 60,000 industries in the state, barely 2.5% have filed their annual environmental statement with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The statement is equivalent to an audit report and must be filed every year by industrial units to furnish details of their emissions and effluent discharge.
The board had set up a special online portal called Maha Eco Bharat for submission of the statement. The portal is managed by Eco Friend and Company, consultants with MPCB. “Online submission has eased the burden for industries, but still the response has been bad. Only 200 industries have registered in the site and only 2.5% of 60,000 industries have managed to file their report,” said Radhesham Mopalwar, member secretary, MPCB.
The annual statement will have details of the industries’ use of water, fuel, raw material consumption, waste material, hazardous waste, emission, effluent water treatment etc. “The deadline for submitting the report is September 30. But the main reason for lack of response is that most industries are unaware of this.
However, MPCB is planning to withdraw the consents given to industries in case they do not file the returns for three consecutive years,” said Prakash Deshpande, environment auditor, Eco Friend and Co.
Through this initiative, MPCB will be able to create a database on various industries polluting the atmosphere. “We will be able to calculate the exact amount of emission, hazardous wastes, effluent treatment of water etc with just a click of a button. Apart from this, companies in the red category which produce hazardous wastes as a by-product will have to fill form 4 which is mandatory and punishable by law if not furnished,” said Deshpande.
Maharashtra has around 20,000 industries which are in the red category (highly pollutant). These industries manufacture sugar, fertiliser, chemical, petro chemical, pigment, dyes, electronics etc.
“Out of 60,000 industries, majority industries fall in the green category. These industries do not bother to file the assessment report,” he added.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}