The H.P. State Pollution Control Board has organized a two days Capacity Building Programme on Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) and Continuous Effluent Quality Monitoring System (CEQMS) in associations with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)and USAID on 20th and 21st December 2022 at HPSPCB, Environmental Training Centre, Baddi, DistrictSolan. The two day training program was attended by nearly 100 stakeholders from Industries and Government Departments like Jal Shakti Vibhag, Shimla JalPrabandhan Nigam Ltd. and technical staff of the State Board.
Apoorv Devgan, IAS Member Secretary, HPSPCB in his inaugural address highlighted that continuous emission and effluent monitoring helps to ensure compliance of prescribed norms in the industries having high air and water pollution potential, besides, to make assessment of air and water quality on real-time basis. These systems are an advanced alerts and can help industries or other stakeholders in process optimization as well as taking timely corrective measures. Since CEMS and CEQMS are complex technologies, therefore, appropriate knowledge and skill development for CEMS and CEQMS becomes most crucial factor for industries, regulators and other stakeholders. He emphasized the need for technology certification, periodic calibration and quality assurance, so that accurate, reliable and cross verifiable data is generated as per the prescribed CPCB guidelines.
It is pertinent to mention here that the CPCB has made it mandatory to install continuous emission and effluent discharge monitoring systems in “17 categories of highly polluting industries”such as pulp & Paper, Distillery, Sugar, Tanneries, Power Plants, Cement, Oil Refineries, Fertilizer, Chloral alkali plants , Dye & Dye Intermediate Units, Pesticides and pharma sector , Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP) and Common STPs, Common CBWTFs and Common Hazardous waste incinerators . In this category there are 21 such units in the State and these industries have installed 37 Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) and 8 Continuous Effluent Quality Monitoring Stations (CEQMS), which are directly connected with the CPCB and State Board servers for the purpose of compliance monitoring.
In addition, the State Board is maintaining constant watch on air quality through regular monitoring of ambient air quality at 25 locations in the State and taking remedial measures wherever necessary to maintain this quality. In order to keep a constant watch on the ambient air quality on real time basis in the prominent industrial area of Baddi & Barotiwala the State Board has also established one Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) at Baddi.
Experts from CEEW and the industry etc. shared their valuable experience, technical knowledge on various aspects of CEMS, CEQMS as well as Stack Monitoring, besides, hands-on experience to the participants during the two days training program.
Prabodh Saxena (IAS) Addl. Chief Secretary (EST) to the Go HP cum Chairman HPSPCB im his address highlighted that Himachal Pradesh has always been a pioneer State in the country with regard to conservation of environment and implementation of various programs for abatement of pollution. The Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change, Govt. of India has recently conferred “Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2022 Award” to Sundernagar and Nalagarh towns of the State for achieving second and third rank respectively at national level under National Clean Air Program (NCAP).
He further emphasized the importance and need of self-regulation to ensure that emissions and effluent discharge from highly polluting industries are within safe limits and directed the officers of the State Pollution Control Board as well as other stakeholders to make sincere efforts towards mitigation of pollution and protection of environment, so that sustainable development growth of the State is ensured.
