Industrial units in three critically polluting sectors — petrochemicals, oil refining and thermal power — have been given time till September, to install 24x7 real time pollution monitoring devices at their effluent and emission discharge points.

“Nearly half of the 2,800 units that had got directions from the Ministry to install the devices have moved towards compliance. We are confident of achieving full coverage in the next few months, hopefully by September,” Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Prakash Javadekar said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

The Minister said that those who do not abide by the time-line will face penalties, but did not elaborate on what it would be. Directions have already been issued for closure of about 64 non-complying polluting units, he added.

Javadekar said that his Ministry will soon come out with a new sand policy to promote sustainable sand mining. “We want to use satellite mapping to see where sand is deposited in rivers. Based on that information, mining will be sanctioned. We will not allow rivers to die. There will be sustainable mining based on science,” he said.

The Environment and Forest Ministry has also come up with draft rules on solid waste management, plastic waste management, e-waste management, biomedical waste management and fly ash utilisation amendment notification. “We will put these up for comments to get views of all stakeholders,” Javadekar said.

To curb pollution caused by industry, the Ministry had identified 2,800 units spread across 17 heavily polluting sectors and had given them time till June 30 to install the pollution monitoring devices. The sectors include aluminium, caustic soda, fertiliser, paper pulp, copper, pesticides, textile, tannery, dyes, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, petrochemicals, thermal plants and oil refineries.

Of these, 920 units have installed the monitoring devices and another 400 units have move towards Zero Liquid Discharge, the Minister said.

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