Parliament Question: Effluent Treatment Compliance by Slaughterhouses and Abattoirs

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1319 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.07.2026 Effluent Treatment Compliance by Slaughterhouses and Abattoirs 1319. DR. BACHHAV SHOBHA DINESH: Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state: (a) the details of registered and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)-approved abattoirs and slaughterhouses, that are operating functional Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP) meeting Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) discharge standards along with the number of facilities operating without a functional ETP/Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) or with a non-compliant treatment system, State/UT-wise; (b) whether Continuous Online Effluent Monitoring Systems, mandated by CPCB since 2014 for Red- category industries, have been installed at such facilities and are transmitting real-time data to CPCB/State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) servers, if so, the details thereof; and (c) the approved method of disposal of treated effluent at such facilities and the details of instances during the last five years where facilities have disposed of effluent into rivers, drains or land without valid authorisation, including the penalty imposed or closure directives enforced? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a) to (c): The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of various food products including Meat and Meat Products, Poultry and Poultry Products and Dairy Products. A list of registered APEDA-approved abattoirs and slaughterhouses is available at https://apeda.gov.in/List- Abattoirs-meat. The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified Standards for Discharge of Effluents from Slaughterhouses, Meat Processing Units and Sea Food Industry vide notification G.S.R. 1016(E) dated 28.10.2016. Vide this notification, effluent norms on parameters of pH, Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Suspended Solids and Oil & Grease are defined for Slaughterhouses or Meat Processing Units or Both. State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs), through Consent mechanism under the Water Act, 1974 monitor the establishment and operation of industries and polluting activities through prescription of pollution control measures i.e Effluent Treatment plants(ETP), Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and monitoring the compliance of effluent discharge standards. Inspections are carried out to assess the adequacy and performance of treatment facilities and to verify compliance with the discharge conditions stipulated in the Consent to Operate (CTO) issued by the respective SPCBs/PCCs. In order to strengthen self-regulation, 17 category of highly polluting industries, Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) and common waste management/treatment facilities are mandated to install Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring Systems (OCEMS), for real-time monitoring and alert system with connectivity to the server of SPCBs/PCCs and CPCB. Based on the alerts generated from OCEMS, CPCB also conducts surprise inspection of selected industries. In cases of non-compliance found during inspections, appropriate actions such as issue of Show Cause Notice & Closure direction and imposition of Environmental Compensation are issued under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The details of directions issued by CPCB under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 are available at CPCB website at https://cpcb.gov.in/cpcb-directions-5ep.php ****