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effluent treatment: Under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, every industry has to provide effluent treatment plants before disposal, irrespective of whether it is in stream, land, sewerage system or sea.

The small scale industrial units (SSI), which are presently defined as units whose plant and machinery are valued at less than Rs. 5 crore occupy an important place in the Indian economy. The SSIs are a major contributor to the total industrial pollution load of the country. However, only a small fraction of the effluent discharge from these units is estimated to be treated as on date.

SSIs, due to their limited size and scale of operations do not find it economically viable to install dedicated pollution control equipment and therefore the concept of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) is suitable for them. CETPs help in achieving end-of-pipe treatment of combined wastewater of the SSIs at lower unit cost and also facilitate better monitoring by the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs).

The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEFCC) has been implementing a centrally sponsored scheme for CETPs since 1991. In the light of the operational deficiencies in the earlier scheme, the development of pollution control technologies over the year and also the financial constraints on the part of SSI proponents and the recommendations of SPCBs related thereto, a need was felt to revise the earlier guidelines for central assistance to CETPs.Read More..

Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India notified in September 2006 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 procedures for obtaining Environmental clearance for various projects. Projects like Nuclear Power, Offshore drilling, Petroleum refinery, Asbestos, Chemical Fertilizers, require environmental clearance from Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests. Projects like Townships, Building construction projects, Sugar, Common effluent treatment plants, Municipal solid waste management facilities can be granted Environmental Clearance at the State level, by the Environment Impact Assessment Authority. Some of the projects like Mining, Thermal Power Plants, Cement, Distilleries, Pulp and Paper, Industrial Estates can be granted Environmental Clearance at either Government of India level by the Government of India, Ministry of State Environment and Forests or State level by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority.

The Notification provides for constitution of a State Environment Impact Assessment authority empowered to grant Environmental Clearance to mitigate pollution and protect environment which is essential pre-requisite in the process of starting a project. To assist this Authority, a State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) is constituted. The Expert Appraisal Committee will scrutinize the projects and forward its recommendations to the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority for granting Environmental Clearance.

On the recommendation of Government of Tamilnadu, Government of India notified, vide S.O.417 ( E ) on 3rd March 2008, the constitution of a three member State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and a 14 Member State Expert Appraisal Committee for Tamilnadu for a term of three years. The Authority and the Committee have started functioning with effect from 19/03/2008. After the completion of the tenure the SEIAA and SEAC constituted vide Notification dated: 3.3.2008 ceased to function from 2.3.2011 Afternoon. The Government of India reconstituted a three member State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and a 9 Member State Expert Appraisal Committee for Tamilnadu for a term of three years vide S.O 731 (E) on 4th April 2012. The reconstituted Authority and the Committee have started functioning with effect from
12. 04.2012.

Project proposals in the state under category