'Over 1,200 stations nationwide to monitor pollution'

NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over the threats posed by polluted surface and ground water pollution, Minister of State for Environment and Forest Namo Narain Meena today said that 1,245 monitoring stations across the country, in collaboration with State Pollution Control Boards, would control flow of untreated waste, as well as industrial effluents into water bodies.

At his Ministry's Parliamentary Consultative Commitee meeting here, Meena said the Ministry was aware of the serious challenges facing the country in controlling pollution, as it moved forward on a path of rapid economic development.

He said the Ministry was working proactively with different stateholders in implementing the laws and regulations for controlling pollution.

"There is a good legal and administrative framework, which monitors and implements different sets of laws. The Ministry has identified highly polluting industries for special measures for controlling pollution," he said.

On air pollution, the Minister said there country had 33 continuous air quality-monitory stations in the country besides 342 manual monitory stations.

"A source appointment study is also being implemented in collaboration with various institutions like National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and The Energy Research Institute (TERI) and different IITs," he said.