Union Minister of State for Forest, Environment and Climate Change (Independent Charge) Prakash Javadekar has said that there had been 43 per cent fall in pollution levels in Raipur during 2015 when compared the previous year 2014, according to an official press release issued here on Wednesday.
The data is related to cities with 10 lakh and more population in 46 prominent cities across the country, it stated.
The air quality has improved a lot in the last one year. There are 612 Monitoring Centres in 29 states and 05 Centrally administered territories which test Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide in the area. The data on air quality was submitted in the lok Sabha recently, the press release informed.
It may be recalled that the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB) has also started the ‘Online Consent Management and Monitoring System’ under the Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules 2008 for the disposal of authorization and renewal of industrial waste cases, officials stated.
According to an official press release, the process is being done through the logging in of the various industrial committees at www.cgocmms.nic.in. A help desk has also been created.
The Industrial Establishment Committee will have to apply for the online consent with the id and password provided by the CECB website.
Officials stated the online mode has commenced from February 26.
Taking serious approach towards protecting the city from rising pollution levels, Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand early this year directed officials of Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB) to ensure regular use of pollution control equipment by industrial units operational in Urla, Borjhara and Siltara zones.
Moreover, Dhand also instructed officials to carry out inspection of units to ensure inspection of pollution control equipment.
Chairing a meeting in the Mantralaya in Naya Raipur , Dhand gave specific directives to CECB officials to ensure strict compliance of environment related rules by industrial units and instructed them to take stern action against units violating the rules.
As per information received, the Chief Secretary had ordered officials to inspection in sponge iron plants, rolling mills, power plants, ferro alloys plants, induction furnace units on a regular basis and guarantee mandatory use of pollution control equipment.
Besides, Dhand had also directed officials of Transport Department to chalk out a work plan for subjecting two and four wheelers into pollution check and issuance of fitness certificate after examination.
Similarly, the Chief Secretary also instructed Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) officials to take effective measures for checking pollution from construction works and garbage.
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh government has also directed commissioners of various municipal corporations and officials of municipal councils to ensure strict compliance of notification of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2006 during construction of building and township development project in their respective jurisdiction. A notification in this regard was recently issued by Urban Administration and Development Department from the Mantralaya. As per the notification, the concerned officials will have to mandatorily mention about prior environment clearance in permit issued for construction work. A directive in this regard was issued by Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s state-level Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Chhattisgarh to Directorate of Urban Administration and Development Department and Directorate of Town and Country Planning Department in September 2015, informed official sources.