11 highly polluting units inspected every 3 months

Panaji: Goa has 11 industrial units that fall under the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) ‘highly polluting 17 category industries’. Now, after the Central Board revised its guidelines, requiring more frequent inspections of such highly polluting industrial units, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has constituted a monitoring cell specifically for these industries.

As per the new norms, the inspection of these highly polluting units have to be carried out at least once in three months and the Board has begun this process already.


These 11 units in Goa are spread across the areas of Bethora, Usgao, Pissurlem, Sanguem, Cuncolim, Zuarinagar, Amona, and Corlim.

The board had received directions in 2019 from the Central Pollution Control Board regarding inspection frequency for environmental surveillance of industries under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention amd Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The Central Board said that it is the state boards that are responsible for planning and implementation of pollution control programmes, while the Central Board only coordinates and guides these activities. The Central Board had created categories for different types of industries.

Subsequently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), in a matter, found that infrequent inspections and auto-renewal of consents in Haryana led to unchecked violations of environmental norms, particularly for highly polluting industries.

The NGT, finding such policies contrary to the principles of precautionary and sustainable development, called for stronger inspection and regulatory regime. The NGT accordingly directed a reduction in the interval between inspections and increased vigilance across industry categories.

The central board had therefore revised the frequency of inspections required.