Chapter 2 - Kerala Govt Logo

Environmental Assessment ReportKerala Local Government Strengthening ProjectProvision on prohibiting the disposal of polluting matter to streams or wells, restrictingnew outlets and discharges, acting on existing discharge of sewage and trade effluents,refusing or withdrawing consent and entertain appeal of aggrieved.Requirement of the occupier of existing discharges at the time of introduction of the Act toapply for consent on or before such date as may be specified by the State Government bynotification in the official gazette.Requirement of the LSGs discharging sewage and sullage from their jurisdiction into variouswater bodies to take consent from the State PCB.Requirement of the LSGs to draw up and implement programmes for collection andtreatment of sewageRequirement to specify the quality, quantity and location of discharge of sewageRequirement of a new industry to obtain consent to establish from the State PCBProhibition of disposal of poisonous, noxious or polluting matters into any stream or wellEmpowerment of the State PCB to carryout pollution prevention measures, if the personholding the consent fails to do so.Empowerment of the State PCB to take emergency measures, in case any poisonous,noxious or polluting matter is present or entered into any stream or well.Moving court intervention for restraining apprehended pollution of water in stream or wellsRendering of help and assistance and furnishing of information for inspection andexamination of records, maps, plans and other documents by the Local authorities to theState PCB for the discharge of its functionsDescription of the penalty clauses and procedures therein including enhanced penalty afterprevious convictionThe State Pollution Control Board has beenconstituted and over the years, it has established itsoffices and laboratories in all the districts with aCentral Laboratory at Kochi. The Kerala State PCB hasissued circulars to all the LSGs to issue license to anindustry or commercial establishment only afterproducing the „consent to establish‟ and renew theThe proposed ESMF provides anopportunity to mobilize support forthe State PCB for attaining improvedcompliance. In addition, the ESMFensures that the LSGs obtain consentfor discharge of sewage and sullage,draw up & implement plans forsewage collection and treatment, asenvisaged in the Act.license only after producing „consent to operate‟ from the PCB under the Water Act 1974 andAir Act, 1981 except in the case of exempted category numbering about 57.As a result of the enforcement, monitoring and dissemination efforts, all most all the majorand medium industries, numbering around 600, have established Effluent Treatment Plants(ETP). However, there are issues of non-operation, mal-functions and inefficiency of ETPs andrequirement of improving the monitoring aspects. In order to strengthen the monitoringmechanism, the PCB now proposes to carry out the collection and analysis of samples bythemselves by collecting the required fee from the industry for those with capital investmentmore than Rs. 50 lakh. The PCB is also considering the possibility of initiating system studies onthe ETPs in order to assess the system efficiency and recommend corrective steps. Though theenforcement actions have achieved almost total coverage in the case of major polluters interms of establishment of ETPs, there is inadequacy in the monitoring of ETP performances. Inthe case of small polluters, the reach of PCB is negligible. There are about 2.5 lakh small scale32