The 74th meeting of Board of Directors of HP State Pollution Control Board was held here under the chairmanship of Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Chairman HPSPCB in which a wide range of issues were deliberated upon and many important decisions were taken.
The Board decided to open a sub-regional office at Nurpur, District Kangra in the wake of the announcement made by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
A new Regional laboratory at Shimla would be set up to bring efficiency in implementation of pollution control laws and to meet the emergent demand for addressing concerns of water pollution emanating out of civic wastes and STPs especially in Shimla City. The proposed laboratory will cater to the lab requirement of Shimla, Rampur and Kinnaur area.
The Board also approved integration of online payment gateway services of HDFC bank into the State Board's Online Consent Management software i.e. HIMXGN to facilitate the speedy financial transaction.
Approval of 25 percent reduction in fees for Green category Industry and 10 per cent reduction in Orange category industry towards Consent to Establish and also Consent to Renewal from April 1, 2016 was also given.
It was also decided that Orange categories of Industrial projects to be set up in notified industrial areas/estates, which do not require Environmental Clearances, will automatically be granted Consent to Establish under Water and Air Acts, on the basis of self-certification without any prior inspection. However, in case of wrong self-certification by the concerned, provision of penalty shall also be suitably examined.
No inspection will be carried out for three years in case of Start Ups and new enterprises in the state industries without permission of head of department. However, sampling will be carried out at prescribed frequency to ensure compliance to norms.
Residential colonies located outside the boundary of municipal bodies and having upto 12 apartments and hotels upto 25 double bed rooms will provide septic tanks/soak pit while residential colonies having more than 12 apartments and hotels having more than 25 double bed rooms will provide Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). It was also decided that residential colonies / hotels and educational institutions having residential facilities located within 100 mtrs of drinking water supply schemes and water bodies will make additional provision of water pollution control measures such as bio-digesters.
The matter for adoption of revision of classification of industrial sectors under Red, Orange, Green & White categories as directed by CPCB was approved by the BOD. However, in respect of 25 MW Hydro Electric projects, the decision would be referred back to the Central Pollution Control Board for review in view of the environmental hazards and issues connected with hydro-electric projects.
The matter recyclable wastes generated by industries and not covered under any other Rules governing waste categories were deliberated upon in detail and the BOD approved the regulations in this regard.