Env ministry amends guidelines for industries to cut repeated renewals, compliance burden

THE AMENDMENT ALLOWS PRIVATE AUDITORS TO VISIT INDUSTRY AND VERIFY COMPLIANCE WITH GREEN RULES

- Jayashree Nandi

In line with recent efforts to streamline and fast track regulatory processes for industries, the Union environment ministry has amended the Uniform Consent Guidelines notified under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 198] and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

One change allows private registered environmental auditors to conduct industry visits and verify compliance with environmental norms, as reported by Hindustan Times on December 5. That report said India would soon have a cadre of private third party environmental auditors to ensure industries meet environmental norms, outsourcing a key responsibility of the State in an effort to cut delays and improve ease of doing business, although environmentalists are worried that this may give industry a free rein.