The Pollution Control Board has been established as a regulatory authority for implementing various pollution control laws. The board is committed to provide pollution free environment to the people of state. The Board has undertaken various studies of underground water, solid and air to take remedial steps to control pollution.
The Tripura State Pollution Control Board had come upon by the government of Tripura within the year 1988 underneath the Water (Prevention and management of Pollution) Act, 1974 and also the Air (Prevention and management of Pollution) Act, 1981. Consequently, Rules specifically the Tripura State Pollution Control Board (Water Pollution Control) Rules, 1989 and also the Tripura State Pollution Control Board (Air Pollution Control) Rules, 1989 are framed underneath each the Acts.
TSPCB is also entrusted with the responsibility for enforcement of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Rules made thereunder. The Tripura State Pollution Control Board has three Zonal Offices within Tripura, and one Head Office and Laboratory at Agartala. Zonal offices have enough responsibility for implementation of the function of the Board pertaining to concerned region. Besides processing and finalization of application under various environmental Act/Rules the Head Office of Tripura State Pollution Control Board also performs activities concerning general polices and enforcement of various provisions of the Acts as well as general administration and co-ordination with other agencies. The Central Laboratory at Agartala provides facilities for analysis of samples collected by Regional Offices located at Ambassa, Udaipur, Kumarghat and other agencies. Besides this Head Office is also involved in development of methods for analysis of water, wastewater, gases and hazardous waste samples etc.
What do we mean by Air and Water Consent?
- Consent means the sanction of the authority of the Board for the discharge of the effluent (sewage or trade effluent into a stream or well or sewer or on land) or emission of air pollutant into the atmosphere. The consent issued by Board under section 25/26 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 is known as water consent and under section 21 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 is known as air consent.
- As per section 25 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974, no person shall without the previous consent of the State Board,
- Establish or take any steps to establish any industry, operation or process, or any treatment and disposal system or any extension or addition thereto, which is likely to discharge sewage or trade effluent into a stream or well or sewer or on land; or
- Bring into use any new or altered outlets for the discharge of sewage; or
- Being to make any new discharge of sewage.
- And, as per section 21 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, no person shall without previous consent of the State Board, establish or operate any industrial plant in an air pollution control area.
Functions of the Tripura State Pollution Control Board
- To plan a comprehensive program for the prevention, control or abatement of pollution of streams and wells in the State and to secure the execution thereof.
- To advise the State Government on any matter concerning the prevention, control or abatement of water pollution.
- To collect and disseminate information relating to water pollution and the prevention, control or-abatement thereof.
- To encourage, conduct and participate in investigations and research relating to problems of water pollution and prevention, control or abatement of water pollution.
- To collaborate with the Central' Board in organizing the training of persons engaged or to be engaged in programs relating to prevention, control or abatement of water pollution and to organize mass education programs relating thereto.
- To inspect sewage 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 setup for the treatment of water, works for the purification thereof and the system for the disposal of sewage or trade effluents or in connection with the grant of any consent as required by this Act;
- To lay down, modify or annul effluent standards for the sewage and trade effluents and forth quality of receiving waters (not being water in an inter-State stream) resulting from the discharge of effluents and to classify waters of the State.
- To evolve economical and reliable methods of treatment of sewage and trade effluents, having regard to the peculiar conditions of soils, climate and water resources of different regions and more especially the prevailing flow characteristics of water in streams and wells which render it impossible to attain even the minimum degree of dilution;
- To evolve methods of utilization of sewage and suitable trade effluents in agriculture.
- To evolve efficient methods of disposal of sewage and trade effluents on land, as are necessary on account of the predominant conditions of scant stream flows that do not provide for major pan of the year the minimum degree of dilution.
- To lay down standards of treatment of sewage and trade effluents to be discharged into any particular stream taking into account the minimum fair-weather dilution available in that stream and the tolerance limits of pollution permissible in the water of the stream, after the discharge of such effluents;
- To make, vary or revoke any order-
- for the prevention, control or abatement of discharges of waste into streams or wells.
- requiring any person concerned to construct new systems for the disposal of sewage and trade effluents or to modify, alter or extend any such existing system or to adopt such remedial measures as are necessary to prevent control or abate water pollution.
- To lay down effluent standards to be complied with by persons while causing discharge of sewage or sullage or both and to lay down, modify or annul effluent standards for the sewage and trade effluents.
- To advise the State Government with respect to the location of any industry the carrying on of which is likely to pollute a stream or well
- To perform such other functions as may be prescribed or as may, from time to time be entrusted to it by the Central Board or the State Government
Categories & Classification of Business Activities
The industries in Tripura have been classified in Red, Orange, and Green category as per the list, indicating the classification of 649 industries as per new guidelines.
The industries categorized under Red, Orange and Green category only need to apply for Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) under the Air & Water Act. The industries categorized under white category are not required to obtain Consent to establish and operate, it is required only to intimate Tripura State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) within 30 days from Establishment of business with an undertaking