Telangana Pollution Board NOC

The Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) is a statutory authority charged with enforcing environmental laws and rules in the Indian state of Telangana. The Board ensures that environmental statutes, judicial decisions, and legislative pronouncements are properly implemented throughout the state. On 07.07.2014, APPCB was bifurcated and TSPCB was formed under Section 4 of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Section 5 of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act,1981.

The Board is implementing the following environmental acts and rules:

• The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
• Batteries (Management & Handling) Rules, 2001 and its Amendment Rules, 2010.
• Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
• Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
• Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977.
• Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.
• The Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989.
• E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and its Amendment Rules, 2018.
• Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
• Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
• Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016
• Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 and its Amendment Rules, 2018.

Following are the objectives of the TPCB:

• To develop and implement a systematic plan for the prevention, control, and abatement of pollution in streams and wells throughout the State.
• To recommend the State Government on any matter relating to water pollution prevention, control, or eradication 
• To gather and disseminate information on water pollution prevention, control, and abatement.
• To encourage, conduct, and take part in research and investigations relating to water pollution problems and water pollution prevention or control
• To work with the Central Board to organize training for people involved in or about to be involved in water pollution prevention, control, or abatement programs, as well as to organize mass education programs
• To investigate sewer or trade effluents, works and plants for the treatment of sewage and trade effluents, and to review plans, specifications, or other data relating to plants set up for water treatment, purification works, and sewage or trade effluent disposal systems, or in connection with the grant of any consent required by this Act
• Establish, modify, or repeal effluent standards for sewage and trade effluents, as well as for the reliability of receiving waters (other than water in an interstate stream) resulting from effluent discharge, and classify State waters
• To develop cost-effective and dependable methods of treating sewage and trade effluents, taking into account the unique soil, climate, and water resource conditions of different regions, as well as the prevailing flow properties of water in streams and wells, which make achieving even the bare minimum of dilution impossible.
• To develop methods for utilizing sewage and appropriate trade effluents in agricultural production
• To develop efficient methods of sewage and trade effluent disposal on land, as required by the dominant conditions of scant stream flows that do not provide the minimum degree of dilution for the majority of the year
• To establish treatment standards for sewage and trade effluents to be discharged into any particular stream, taking into account the minimum fair-weather dilution accessible in that stream and the pollution tolerance limits permissible in the stream's water after discharge of such effluents.

1. To issue, modify, or revoke any order --
2. For the prevention, control, or reduction of waste discharge into streams or wells;
3. Needing any person concerned to build new sewage and trade effluent disposal systems, or to modify, alter, or extend any existing system, or to take such corrective measures and so are necessary to prevent, control, or mitigate water pollution;

• To establish effluent standards that must be met by people who cause sewage or sullage discharge, or both, and to establish, modify, or repeal effluent standards for waste water and trade effluents.
• To advise the State Government on the place of any industry whose operation is likely to contaminate a stream or well;
• To carry out such other functions as may be prescribed or delegated to it by the Central Board or the State Government from time to time.
• The Board may establish or recognize a laboratory or laboratories to enable it to carry out its functions under this section efficiently, including the analysis of water samples from any stream or well or sewage or trade effluent samples.

The Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi, issued directions dated 07.03.2016 to all State Pollution Control Boards under Section 18(1)(b) of the Water Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Section 18(1)(b) of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 to comply with the re-categorization of industries under Red, Orange, Green and White Category. Subsequently, as per the CPCB directions, the Board constituted a Committee for Categorization.

The Board issued a Circular Memo directing all ROs, Zos, and divisional heads at Head Office to immediately implement the CPCB directions on 07.03.2016 on emerging business categorization by co-opting two Expert Members and categorized additional industrial sectors under Red, Orange, Green & White categories by examining in the Committee meetings based on the Pollution Index Score.

The Pollution Index (PI) of any industry sector is a number ranging from 0 to 100, with a higher value indicating a higher level of pollution load from the industrial sector.

• Red Category: Industrial sectors with a Pollution Index value of 60 or higher
• Orange Category: Industrial Sectors with Pollution Index scores ranging from 41 to 59
• Green Category: Industrial sectors with Pollution Index scores ranging from 21 to 40
• White Category: Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score up to 20

How Are Inspections Conducted As Per The Telangana Pollution Control Board (TSPCB)?

The goal of the compliance inspection is to determine whether the businesses are functioning in accordance with the regulations, and if not, to gather information to support taking remedial measures to avoid environmental contamination. The compliance inspections also attempt to give the industries the essential advice or suggestions to improve their compliance status with the predetermined conditions. The Board is further able to verify that industries take all required measures to reduce environmental pollution thanks to the compliance inspections.

Procedure for Inspection

Inspections must be conducted during the establishment's or industries regular business hours, unless unusual circumstances call for something else.

• Before entering the industry, the inspector must check the regions next to its perimeter to see if any solid or hazardous waste has been dumped or effluents have been discharged.
• The inspector will then examine the sector. The inspector must find the occupier, a representative of the occupier, or the person in charge of the industry before beginning the inspection, and advise them of the intended use of the inspection. 
• The following locations in the business premises will be checked by the inspector to ensure compliance, in addition to any other areas that may be needed:

1. Manufacturing industry
2. Place for storing raw materials and finished goods
3. Area for storing water
4. Producing sources of effluent
5. Areas for the collection, treatment, storage, and disposal of effluent
6. Sources of air pollution and methods of prevention
7. Sources, locations, and facilities for the creation of solid and hazardous waste
8. To ensure record maintenance, the environment management cell.

• The inspector is responsible for examining all documents related to production, water pollution and control, air pollution and control, and solid and hazardous waste management.
• The inspector is required to confirm and gather details on the following points:

1. The industry's operational status (whether it is active, seasonal, ill, closed, etc.
2. Production statistics during the previous six months (RG-I copies)
3. Consumption rates for the main raw materials over the previous six months
4. Source of fresh water, storage capacity, and information about tanks.
5. At the time of inspection, the condition of the flow meters provided for documenting water usage for different purposes and meter readings.  
6. Information on the estimation, payment, and sources and amounts of water cess effluent generation (as per records)
7. Details on effluent collection, treatment, and disposal.
8. Sustaining and operating wastewater treatment systems.
9. When inspected, the flow meters' condition and meter readings for monitoring effluent creation, treatment, and disposal were recorded. 
10. Sources of air pollution and ways to prevent it.
11. Operation and upkeep of machinery and systems for reducing air pollution.
12. Meter readings at the time of inspection, as well as the condition of the energy meters provided for the effluent treatment and air pollution control systems
13. Information about the production, storage, and disposal of solid and hazardous waste.

• The Inspector must gather photographic proof of any noncompliance they find. 
• The inspector may ask the industry for information, clarifications, or written proof in order to determine compliance status. 
• If a representative or occupier of the industry purposefully hinders or slows the inspector's work, it must be noted in the inspection report so that the appropriate follow-up steps can be taken.
• The inspector must use all necessary safety equipment, such as PPE, helmets, masks, goggles, etc., while conducting the inspection.
• The inspector may share apparent non-compliance found during the inspection with an industry representative at the conclusion of the inspection so that industry can take the appropriate corrective action as needed.

• Consent for Establishment (CFE)

At TS-iPASS/OCMMS, the Applicant must submit the CFE Application online. The CFE applications are pre-reviewed online at TS-iPASS/OCMMS to ensure that they are complete and include all necessary enclosures (as per the check list). The inspecting officials will inform you of any application flaws. The relevant Regional Office (RO) of the Board will receive the applications from the nodal agency in complete form after receiving the proponent's information and supporting documentation.

The CFE issued by the Board has a 5 (five) year validity period. Through the Auto Renewal System, the validity can be increased.

• Consent for Operation (CFO)

When the plant is completed and ready for production, the industries / entrepreneurs must obtain Consent for Operation (CFO), Hazardous Waste Authorization (HWA) (if applicable), Authorization under E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 (EWA) (if applicable), Registration under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 (PWR) (if applicable), Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 (SWM) (if applicable), and Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 (if applicable). Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 (if applicable); and Construction & Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 (if applicable) & Amendments.

What is Environment Clearance?

Prior Environmental Clearance (EC) is required for the following projects under the provisions of the EIA-2006 notification under the TPCB

• All new projects/activities are listed in the Schedule.
• Development and/or modernization of existing projects/activities
• Modification of product mix if pollution load increases.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process where a unit undergoes the process of involves assessing the potential environmental effects of a project or development while also taking into account related socio-economic, cultural, and human health effects, both positive and negative. EIA is a tool used to evaluate a project's potential effects on the environment, economy, and society. This is used to foresee the environmental effects of a project even in the pre-planning stage, allowing for the reduction of the negative effects.

There are four stages in the Environmental Clearance process. They are laid down as follows

• 1st Stage: Screening 
• 2nd Stage: Scoping 
• 3rd Stage: Consultation with the General Public
• 4th Stage: Evaluation

Individual industries, including proposed industrial housing, will not be required to take prior environmental clearance if any Industrial Estate/Complex/Export Processing Zones/Special Economic Zones/Biotech Parks/Leather Complex with homogeneous type of industries or those Industrial Estates with pre-defined set of activities (not necessarily homogeneous), obtains prior environmental clearance. This is provided that the Terms and Conditions for such estates/complexes are met.

The procedure for obtaining Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) in the State of Telangana dealt with the Telangana Prevention of Water Pollution Act,1969. Also, the provisions of the Board were formed in accordance with the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and Section 5 of the Air (P &CP) Act, 1981. The Project Proponent and Start-ups who are willing to run their business project must have to obtain consent before the establishment of the Project anywhere in the State of Telangana. All the Projects, Industries, Non-industries units have been categorized under four categories that are Red, Orange, Green, and White according to the range under which it comes in the Pollution Index and Pollution Potential for Consent management. Since the given date of the project which is already in Operation needs to obtain Consent to operate and there is no need to obtain Consent to Establish permission as such Projects are already established and might be in operation.

Let’s understand the procedure:

• Connect with the Corpseed team.
• Provide necessary documents for the Pollution Control Board Telangana (TPCB) Consent/CTE/CTO
• We will assign a dedicated Consultant, an expert in managing the whole process of getting Consent/CTE/CTO from TPCB
• Our Pollution Control expert will reach out to you and complete the procedure to obtain a Pollution License for your Business
• Our Expert Consultant will draft & apply with Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TPCB)
• We will deliver the CTE/CTO to you via email and courier

Restrictions on the Establishment of Project at a certain Location

The Project/Industries shall only be able to operate at a certain location such as in Ecologically Fragile areas/Protected areas/residential areas or colonies.

What are the Documents required for applying for Consent?

For Orange and Green category Industries:

• Site Layout
• Flow Chart of a process along with a diagram
• The Consent Fee

For Red category Industries:

• Site Layout and Plan
• The process along with a flow chart and its diagram
• The Environment Management Plan (EMP)
• Consent Fees needed

For EIA category Industries:

• The Plan of the site
• Process Flow Chart (Diagram)
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report along with Environment Clearance (EC)
• Consent Fee

What is the Timeline for Issuing Consent under the TPCB?

For units with investments less than Rs. 200 Crores in capital expenditures or for those where no clearances from organizations other than the State Govt. are required, the time limits for processing and disposing of application areas by the competent authority shall be a maximum of 30 days from the date of issue of Acknowledgement (including online). All mega project approval application cases that are fully submitted (including online) at the time of filing and do not need any permissions from organizations other than the State Government will be approved within 15 working days. Industries categorized as per the Board shall have the following timelines.

• Red Category industries: 21 Days
• Orange Category industries: 14 Days
• Green Category industries: 7 Days

What are the effects of Non-compliance?

If the applicant, or the organization, as the case may be, does not adhere to the conditions or undertaking in self-certification given to the Nodal Agency, he or she will be subject to a fine as stipulated by the government from time to time as well as correction of the defect, according to the provisions of Section 19 of the Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self-Certification System (TS-iPASS) Rules, 2015.

The applicant must pay the prescribed Consent Fee along with the Application for CFO under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981.

There is no fee for processing applications under the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016, Authorisation / Renewal under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, Registration / Renewal under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, Authorisation / Renewal under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and Authorisation / Renewal under the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016.