Overview of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB)

The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPSB) is an autonomous organisation constituted on 1^stJuly 1988 under the Water (P&CP) Act, 1974. Before that, when the state was a part of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman & Diu, the Central Board for Prevention and Control of Water Pollution was performing the functions of the State Pollution Control Board. After its constitution, the GSPCB established its office in the Goa Medical College complex. In 2002, the Board office was shifted to Panaji, and the office and the laboratory started operating from there. Currently, the board is located at Saligao, 10 km from Panaji (Panjim), where it manages 16 ambient air quality monitoring and 52 water quality monitoring stations throughout the state. Of these, 16 air stations and 13 water quality monitoring stations are outsourced to MoEF-approved laboratories, and the GSPCB operates three.

The 52 stations under National Water Quality Monitoring Programme are all managed by GSPCB. These stations are monitored at periodic intervals, and the samples are analysed at the board-recognised laboratories for physical, chemical, metals, microbiological and pesticide-related parameters. The board also has two mobile laboratories used during NAMP and NWMP monitoring programmes throughout the year. The Goa State Pollution Control Board implements the following Acts and Rules in the state -

• Water and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules
• Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981
• Air (P&CP) Amendment Rules 2011
• Water Prevention and Control Amendment 1981
• Water (P&CP) Act 1974
• Air (P&CP) Rules 1989
• Water (P&CP) Rules 1989

Functions and roles of the Goa State Pollution Control Board

The GSPCB has a diverse operation span that includes Waste Management (including Hazardous Waste, Biomedical Waste, Municipal Solid Waste, Batteries Waste, Plastic Waste, and E-Waste). The roles include Consent Management (that includes consent issued under the Water & Air Acts, Authorisation issued under HWR, Authorisation issued under e-waste rules and Authorisation issued under BWM Rule. Apart from the scientific division, the board has a Technical Section, a Legal Section and an Administrative cum Accounts Section. The functions of these divisions are as follows -

Technical Section

This section of the Goa State Pollution Control Board handles the consent management for industries, hazardous waste handling facilities, health care facilities, municipal solid waste facilities, etc.

Legal Section

The legal section handles all the court/legal matters related to the board's functions. The issues are filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Administrative Tribunal, the Appellate Authority, lower courts, the Hon'ble High Court and the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

Administrative cum Accounts Section

This section deals with all the administrative matters of the board, such as service matters of the staff which includes the creation of posts, leave appointments, promotions, tours, calculation of retirement benefits of the employees, etc.

Authorisation and Consent Management by the Goa State Pollution Control Board

The licences and authorisations provided by the Goa State Pollution Control Board are -

Consent for Pollution NOC

The services offered by the board under the consent section are -

• Consent NOC: Any business or industry in Goa must obtain prior consent from GSPCB as per the provisions of the Water and Air Acts, mainly to set up a business or factory. The board issues Consent to Establish (CTE) when the proponent proposes his plan to establish the unit. The Consent to Operate (CTO) will be issued when the unit is established and is ready to operate. However, the CTO has to be renewed regularly, and the validity depends on the category(i.e., Red, Orange, Green and White categories) in which the consent is issued.

Documents Required

The list of documents required by the Goa State Pollution Control Board for Consent NOC was updated recently and included the following -

• Landproof (i.e., allotment/earmarking letter or lease/sales deed/Form 1 & 14)
• Detailed flow chart, production process and project report for projects costing five crores and above
• Schematic sketch of the proposed effluent/sewage treatment system/plant (ETP/STP) and septic tanks/soak pit, duly signed by an authorised person, along with detailed design calculation
• Layout plan showing the location of machinery, water supply/drainage lines, chimneys
• Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and final discharge point, sludge solid waste disposal points and septic /soak pit or tanks details
• Site plan (not required for units to be set up in industrial estates)
• Technical clearance from the TCP (town and country planning department) for the residential project
• Site plan showing surrounding residential area, public places, water stream, etc., of the factory site within a radius of 5kms
• Original authorisation letter
• Copy of the EIA report/form/report submitted for obtaining Environmental Clearance or any other survey (if required)
• Photocopy of the prior Environmental Clearance (EC) issued by the competent authority (if applicable)
• Certificate from Chartered Accountant certifying the total investment
• Previous consent issued by the board in case of renewal of consent/expansion (if applicable)
• Any changes/modifications in the industry after the consent is obtained (renewal application)
• Stack analysis report/analysis report of treated effluent/sewage (for renewal application)
• Form V of Environment Statement(for consent to operate renewal)
• Any other document as per the requisition by GSPCB

Waste Management Authorisations issued by the Goa State Pollution Control Board

• Authorisation to treat, store and dispose of hazardous waste under the Hazardous Waste Management under the HWM rules, 2016

• Registration of Producers, Importers and Brand Owners (PIBO) under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016

• Biomedical Waste Management Authorisation to Health Care Facilities and Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBMWTF)
• Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Management Authorisation

• E-waste Management Authorisation (including e-waste authorisation for dismantlers and recyclers)

• Registration of recyclers and refurbishers of used Battery under the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 (through the centralised portal maintained by CPCB)
• Environment statement
• Construction and Demolition Waste Management under the C&D Waste Management Rules, 2022

Scope of Industries in Goa

Goa is one of the fastest-growing states in the country.It has a strong presence in the fishing, agriculture, tourism, and pharmaceutical sectors. Mining (manganese and iron ore), pharmaceuticals and iron and steel industries are present in North Goa, while mining and shipbuilding industries are located in South Goa. To accommodate new investments in the coastal state, the Goa government has amended a law to open more space in its industrial estates. With this, the role of the Goa State Pollution Control Board has increased tremendously.

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