Eco-Friendly Industrialization

The need of the hour in the world at large is " sustainable development" where pollution control plays a critical role. Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board was formed in 1976 as a statutory body. Its primary function is to implement pollution control laws laid down from time to time. 

The A. P Pollution Control Board is making all out efforts to control pollution specially in the Industrial Sector. The State has witnessed massive industrialization in the last decade which has resulted in environmental degradation. The Onus is therefore on one and all to ensure that these consequences are remedied. 

In line with the State Government's pro active policy, of clean and green and also the insistence on growing plants in the open spaces of the factories, a slow and steady awareness for the need of pollution free environment is felt these days. 

The A.P Pollution Control Board has identified specific areas looking for collaborations for reducing the pollution levels. In line with this philosophy, the A.P Pollution Control Board and the US Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) have entered into a collaboration for implementing cleaner production and best practicable technologies for select industries. 

The objectives of the AP Pollution Control Board are:

1. To review Waste Minimization, reuse / recycle and alternative destruction technology steps already initiated in Andhra Pradesh by the Cleaner Production Cell of the A.P Pollution Control Board.

2. To interact with 23 Cement industries, 6 industry groups, the re-users of Waste Oil, Lubricants etc., the trained AP Pollution Control Board technical team along with Common Waste Management Facilities to develop Action Plans.

3. Establishing industry - research institute partnerships for preventive environmental management and technology transfers.

4. To devise new procedures, audit formats and implementation methods for transition of existing processes to Cleaner processes over a period of 2-3 years, working out clear pay back period for investments.

5. To train and develop relevant analytical capabilities required in the laboratories of the A.P.Pollution Control Board using AAS, GC, ICP, TOC and FTIR instruments.

6. To expand and sustain the cleaner Protection drive of the CPC-AP .Pollution Control Board after the end of the collaboration period.

The US project is expected to benefit the State (1) achieving measurable reductions in pollution load from clusters of chemical industries; (2) win-win solutions for chemical industries in terms of resource efficient and time consistent technology applications;(3) expanding market in environmental certification opportunities; (4) developing local expertise in strengthening environmental services market; & (5) inculcating resource efficient concepts in educational institutions.

The A.P.Pollution Control Board has already been working on a number of other environment related projects .To mention a few

1. Introducing Plasma Technology for converting waste into power.

The proposal for using Plasma Technology based on Arc Furnace melting of waste has been discussed with Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) under its funding. This technology would help cleaning up all types of solid waste in and around the Hyderabad region and also would add additional energy to the grid. 

2. Reduction of carbon loads in air and water in the degraded sub-basin of the Musi river.

Under the initiative taken by the Hon'ble Chief Minister, the possibility of linking Carbon Sink Measurement with the forestry programme of the State and its wider implications in terms of bringing in carbon reduction, credit funding for local self help groups (Vana Samrakshna Samithi) to manage marginal forestry projects efforts are being made to link up these projects with American expertise, USAEP, USAID and Stanford University. This need to be further discussed with National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Forest Department and other related agencies and the estimated cost is around 6.50 lakh US $. 

3. A project for Small Scale Retrofit Engineering and alternate automotive fuel research.

Initial discussions were held with Prof. Joseph M. Norbeck, Director, CERT, University of California, River Side, regarding the wide ranging possibilities of Research, Training and private sector and institutional partnership. A US $ 
600,000 project is aimed at reducing air pollution levels to begin with in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and later extended to the other towns. 

Keeping in view the clean and green philosophy adopted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, collaborations and technical transfers including investments are most welcome.