Delhi pollution body empanels five expert institutes to assess safeguards in red-category industries

DPCC said it has selected DTU, Jamia Millia Islamia, NIT, Shriram Institute for Industrial Research and IIT Delhi’s Centre for Rural Development and Technology for this process

New Delhi

Red-category industries are the most polluting industries and have a pollution index score of 60 or above. These typically cover sectors such as thermal power plants, cement factories and tanneries that are involved in high-combustion processes. (Representative photo/HT Archive)

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has empanelled five expert institutes in Delhi to give “adequacy reports” to red-category industries in Delhi. The report will specify whether a unit’s pollution control measures, including effluent treatment plants, air filters or waste management facilities, among others, are adequate for the type of industry and act as consent for the industries to operate.

In an order, dated November 24 and uploaded to its website on Tuesday, the DPCC said it has selected the Delhi Technological University (DTU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the National Institute of Technology, the Shriram Institute for Industrial Research and IIT Delhi’s Centre for Rural Development and Technology for this process.

A nodal officer or team leader has been appointed from each institute, who can be contacted for the entire process.

“Submission of an adequacy report from any of the above institutes will be the third-party certification for Consent applications under Red Category of Industries..” read the order, signed by DPCC’s member secretary Sandeep Mishra.

The order said this was being done under the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) framework for deregulation and compliance reduction.

Red-category industries are the most polluting industries and have a pollution index score of 60 or above. These typically cover sectors such as thermal power plants, cement factories and tanneries that are involved in high-combustion processes.

In October, DPCC invited an expression of interest for the process, asking individuals and expert organisations to help it assess whether red-category industries in the capital were adequately complying with pollution norms. DPCC said only institutions or experts with five years of experience in these fields could apply.