Strictly enforce emission norms in Manali industrial area, NGT tells pollution control boards

NGT orders TNPCB, CPCB to re-examine pollution norms for industries in Ennore-Manali region. Directs CPCB to evaluate advancements in pollution control equipment, come out with stricter norms, and re-examine stack height for emissions. Recommends setting up “Manali Environmental Relief Fund” for restoration of affected areas. Joint committee finds six units in violation of monitoring requirements and emission norms. TNPCB, CPCB to mandate concrete roads with trees to act as buffer for trapping air pollutants.

The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board to re-examine pollution control norms for industries and rigidly implement them to control emissions in industrial areas.

In a suo motu case based on a news article covering a 2020 study by Chennai Climate Action Group (CCAG) on air pollution in the Ennore-Manali region, the NGT has ordered the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to examine and revise protocols and Online Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (OCEMS), which was found to be lacking in data in all the industries in Manali.

The Bench comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati on Thursday ordered an expert committee of the CPCB to evaluate advancements in pollution control equipment periodically, come out with stricter pollution norms for industries to be established in areas earmarked for them, and re-examine norms for the stack height for all point sources of emissions.

In the final order, the tribunal has recommended setting up “Manali Environmental Relief Fund”, a corpus fund consisting of minimum 1% of the annual turnover from all the companies located in the Manali complex for the restoration of any affected area.

The CCAG study analysed six industries namely North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS) - Stage 1 and 2; NTPC Tamilnadu Energy Corporation Ltd. (NTECL), Vallur; Chennai Petroleum Corporations Ltd. (CPCL) - Refineries 1, 2, and 3; Madras Fertilizers Ltd (MFL); Manali Petrochemical Ltd (MPL); Tamilnadu Petroproducts Ltd (TPL) and found that they are in violation of monitoring requirements and emission norms of particulate matter and poisonous gases such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides. “Overall, the six industries were in violation for 53% of the time in 2020,” the study said.

A joint committee appointed by the tribunal found that the six units were complying with the emission norms in each point source and were satisfying the National Ambient Air Quality Standards prescribed by the CPCB. While the level of particulate matter was found to be exceeding the limits, it was attributed to the heavy vehicle movement, specifically container movement towards the port and observed that these dust emissions are dispersed into the ambient atmosphere.

The Bench, based on reports by the committee and TNPCB, noted the need for strengthening the OCEMS system. “We fail to understand why there should be prolonged period where data is not captured by the OCEMS system. Such situations will certainly lead to suspicion and apprehension,” it said.