Amid the increasing scrutiny of regulatory bottlenecks affecting industrial operations, the Pollution Control Board Assam (PCBA) is rolling out targeted reforms focused on digital environmental governance and reduced compliance costs. At the Indian Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) “Ease of Doing Business” session in Guwahati, PCBA Chairman Dr. Arup Kumar Misra outlined specific policy interventions to accelerate green clearances, scale real-time pollution monitoring, and lower operational barriers for local industries.Amid the increasing scrutiny of regulatory bottlenecks affecting industrial operations, the Pollution Control Board Assam (PCBA) is rolling out targeted reforms focused on digital environmental.
At a time when Assam is vying for national and foreign investment under the guise of ease of doing business, the real test lies not in policies but in practice. Business North East sat down with Chairman Misra, to go beyond the discussion with ICC and ask what industries really want to know.
Speaking to Business North East (BNE), Misra said, “At present, 44 industries are connected to our real-time emission and effluent quality monitoring system. These include cement, oil refineries, thermal power plants, and one common biomedical waste treatment facility.”
These units operate Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) and Continuous Effluent Quality Monitoring Systems (CEQMS), feeding live data to the Board’s RT-DAS server.
“Real-time data is directly transmitted to our RT-DAS server, and online pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras have also been installed in select units to ensure continuous oversight,” Misra explained.
While statutory time limits under the Water Act for issuing Consents to Establish (CTE) and Consents to Operate (CTO) range between 30 to 90 days, PCBA is aiming for a uniform 30-day processing window.
“We try to grant consents within 30 days, provided the applications are complete. Each certificate is tailored — not generic — because we factor in geographical conditions, scale of operation, and waste output,” Misra told BNE.
He added that the board has simplified document requirements for renewals, “Many renewals are now issued based on compliance reports alone, with no inspections or monitoring reports required in some cases.”
In certain low-pollution sectors, PCBA has also issued approvals even when applications lacked sufficient data.
“Instead of rejecting them, our field officers collected the necessary information during inspection and proceeded with granting consent,” he said.
While environmental compliance is often associated with high operational costs, PCBA has implemented policies to lower the financial burden on smaller and medium-scale industries.
“We’ve received no complaints from industries regarding our current policies. In fact, we’ve exempted lower-risk units from submitting emission and effluent reports,” Misra said.
He cited other initiatives like:
• A penalty-free window for unregistered industries to obtain consents
• No environmental compensation for minor violations
• Basic disinfection systems allowed for healthcare facilities instead of expensive tertiary treatment plants
ALSO READ: Pollution Control Board Chairman Highlights Broader Socio-Economic Benefits Of Biofuels
“We are open to rolling back policies if they prove burdensome during implementation. The focus is regulatory efficiency without compromising ecological outcomes,” he noted.
To decentralize environmental monitoring, the board will soon commission a NABL-accredited lab in Silchar, in addition to the central facility in Guwahati.
On funding, Dr. Misra clarified, “We receive funding under national programs like the NCAP, NWMP, and NAMP. However, there are no specific grants from the Assam government for these activities.”
The ICC platform drew participation from sectors including tea, cement, pharma, hospitality, and chemicals, with discussions ranging from digital integration to recycling protocols. According to Misra, PCBA is now emphasizing circular economy solutions like urban and medicinal waste recycling, and green entrepreneurship incubation.
“Our long-term vision is to balance industrial growth with climate goals. That’s only possible through transparent collaboration between regulators and businesses,” he further said.
FIRST Business Portal addressing the potential of business capability of North East Region.
