Download National Environment Protection Authority to monitor and

Jairam Ramesh announces two major institutional innovations
and cleaning up of rivers at FICCI Environment Conclave 2009

National Environment Protection Authority to monitor and ensure
compliance of standards by industrial units
 National Green Tribunal to deliver speedy justice to those hit by
implementation of environment & forest laws
 Major Programme for Cleaning of Rivers & Lakes to be taken up
NEW DELHI, July 15, 2009. The government today announced three major decisions on the
environment front to ensure that industrial units fulfill their environmental obligations, deliver
speedy justice to those affected by the implementation of environment and forest laws and the
launch of a major programme for the cleaning of rivers.
Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Minister for Environment & Forests, while inaugurating the 5th FICCI
Environment Conclave 2009, announced
the Government’s intention to set up an
independent, professional and science-based National Environment Protection Authority for
monitoring and ensuring compliance of the statutory safeguards agreed to by industry at the
time of setting up units.
At the same time, a National Green Tribunal is on the anvil to deal with all civil cases relating to
the disputes arising out of the implementation of the different environmental and forest laws.
Under the programme for cleaning of rivers, the government proposes to set up a Ganga River
Basin Authority for which a corpus of Rs 250 crore has been formed.
The Minister said, “industry needs to be far more serious in complying with the compliance
standards. This the first step towards meaningful public private partnerships in waste
management and disposal.” The Ministry, he added, had identified 24 industrial clusters in the
country which had been rendered environmentally dangerous largely because the industrial
units had failed to fulfill their environmental obligations agreed to at the time of setting up the
units.
By this year end, the National Environment Protection Authority, backed by state EPAs, would
be in place to monitor the adherence to environment standards laid out and ensure
compliance, Mr. Jairam Ramesh said.
He said, the National Green Tribunal would be a new environment track supported by benches
in states. The Tribunal will afford a less time-consuming system of justice to people affected by
the various laws relating to environment and forests.
In the next five years the government would bear all the O& M costs, reckoned at Rs 1300
crore, for the efficient functioning of the sewerage treatment plants. The plants would then be
handed over to the municipal authorities for operation and maintenance.
The Minister also underlined the need for looking at alternative ways of financing and
operation of sewerage treatment plants and suggested the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT)
route for eventual transfer of such plants to the municipal authorities.
Mr. Vijay Sharma, Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, urged industry to look into
the various models for PPP projects and emphasised the need to weld them with the financial
institutions. He also stressed the need to motivate thinking people to find new and innovative
solutions to old problems.
Mr. Harsh Pati Singhania, President, FICCI, urged the Minister to formulate a National Policy
for Public Private Partnerships in Waste Management. This policy, he said, should lay down
proper guidelines and directions to encourage private sector participation, and provide a
framework for PPP and business models that will provide viability gap funding where required
and ensure cost recovery for services rendered in other instances. “Not only would such a
policy framework enable cost recovery, it would help the private sector deliver solutions at
competitive rates,” he pointed out.
A viable business model that incentivises private sector participation in waste treatment , Mr.
Singhania said, would ensure three things: a minimum critical mass of waste supplied for
treatment, a tipping fee for recovering the cost of treatment and a market for end-products of
waste treatment.
He said today there is no market for end-products that emerge out of waste treatment.
Compost, which has immense environmental benefits, has no assured offtake. An interministerial task force on integrated plant nutrient management which includes the use of
compost along with fertilizer was constituted some years ago. The recommendations of the
task force need to be implemented through a policy that incentivises the production of
compost from city waste, requires fertilizer companies to market the compost and provides
financial assistance for capital and transportation, the FICCI chief said.
Mr. Ashwin C Shroff, Chairman, FICCI Environment Committee & Managing Director, Excel
Industries gave a vote of thanks.
The two-day conclave is focussing on areas such as Policy Framework for Waste Management;
State Government Initiatives & PPPs for Waste Management; Industrial Waste Management;
GHG Mitigation through Waste Management, Role of Private Sector in Solid Waste
Management; MSW PPP Forum; Operationalisation of Treatment, Storage & Disposal Facilities;
Business Opportunities from Waste Conversion; and JNNURM & Solid Waste Management.
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