Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change addresses questions regarding Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) in India. It provides data on the number of industries with functional ETPs, compliance with discharge standards, actions against non-compliant industries, initiatives to promote ETPs and Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs), and considerations for mandating treated wastewater reuse. The data is current as of June 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **ETP Status and Compliance:**
* 67,956 out of 69,854 industries requiring ETPs have functional ETPs.
* Approximately 98% of industries comply with prescribed effluent discharge standards.
* **Monitoring and Enforcement:**
* CPCB mandates Online Continuous Effluent Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) for 17 categories of high pollution potential industries and Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) of the Ganga basin.
* OCEMS data is transmitted online to CPCB and SPCBs/PCCs with SMS alerts for exceeding pollutant limits.
* CPCB conducts surprise inspections of industries based on OCEMS data.
* Action is taken against non-compliant industries as per environmental laws.
* Out of 4538 GPIs, 608 were found non-compliant, and actions like closure directions and show cause notices were issued.
* **Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs):**
* 222 CETPs are operating across India, with 53 designed for Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD).
* ZLD CETPs serve sectors including textiles, tanneries, electroplating, and pharmaceuticals.
* The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is upgrading existing CETPs and establishing new ones in the Ganga and Yamuna basins, specifically in tannery and textile clusters.
* **Initiatives for Cleaner Technology Adoption:**
* CPCB, with State Governments, has formulated Charters for major industrial sectors focusing on reduced freshwater consumption, effluent generation, reuse of treated effluent, self-monitoring, and capacity building.
* The Ministry of Jal Shakti issued a National framework on safe reuse of treated water in November 2022.
* AMRUT 2.0 promotes the reuse of treated wastewater for industrial, agricultural, construction, and landscaping purposes.
Impact Analysis:
* **Industries:**
* Impact: Required to install and maintain functional ETPs and comply with effluent discharge standards. May need to adopt cleaner technologies and wastewater reuse practices.
* Action Required: Ensure ETP functionality, comply with discharge standards, install OCEMS as directed, take corrective measures upon receiving SMS alerts, and explore wastewater reuse options.
* **State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) / Pollution Control Committees (PCCs):**
* Impact: Responsible for monitoring industries, taking action against non-compliant industries, and ensuring compliance with environmental laws.
* Action Required: Monitor industries within their jurisdiction, take appropriate action against non-compliant industries, and utilize OCEMS data for monitoring and enforcement.
* **Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):**
* Impact: Responsible for directing industries to install OCEMS, conducting inspections, and taking action against non-compliant industries.
* Action Required: Continue to direct industries to install OCEMS, conduct inspections, analyze OCEMS data, and take action against non-compliant industries.
* **Ministry of Jal Shakti:**
* Impact: Plays a role in promoting the reuse of treated wastewater through initiatives like the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the AMRUT 2.0 Mission.
* Action Required: Continue to support and expand initiatives promoting the reuse of treated wastewater, such as upgrading CETPs and establishing new ones.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: The Indian government ministry responsible for environmental protection and climate change.
Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs): Facilities designed to treat industrial wastewater to remove pollutants.
Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD): A wastewater treatment system where all water is recovered and solids are disposed of properly. It is implemented in water-stressed industrial zones.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): The central body in India responsible for pollution control.
State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees (SPCBs/PCCs): State-level organizations in India responsible for implementing environmental regulations.
Online Continuous Effluent Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS): Systems used to continuously monitor and report effluent emissions from industries.
Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs): Industries identified as having high pollution potential.
Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs): Facilities that treat wastewater from multiple industries in a cluster.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2418
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025
Effluent Treatment Plants
2418. SMT. SHAMBHAVI:
DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:
SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE:
SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) the total number of industries currently equipped with functional Effluent Treatment
Plants (ETPs) across the country, State-wise;
(b) the data on the percentage of industries in compliance with prescribed effluent
discharge standards;
(c) the action taken against industries for non-compliance with wastewater treatment norms
during last three year and the current year, sector-wise along with the current status of
implementation of Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) in water-stressed industrial zones;
(d) the details of the initiatives taken/proposed to be taken to promote the installation and
upgradation of ETPs and Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) in industrial
clusters, and to ensure the compliance of environmental norms related to the treatment
of industrial wastewater; and
(e) whether the Government is considering to mandate treated wastewater reuse in
industrial cooling, construction and landscaping to reduce freshwater consumption, if
so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) to (d)
As per the available records, there are total 69,854 industries which requires ETP as identified
by SPCBs/PCCs. out of which, 67,956 industries are having functional ETPs. The state wise
details are provided in Annexure I. Action as deemed fit for the industries without ETP and
non-complying with the standards has been taken by concerned SPCBs/PCCs as per the
provisions of environmental laws. It is observed that around 98 percent of industries are in
compliance with the prescribed effluent discharge standards;
CPCB has directed all 17 categories of high pollution potential industries and common waste
treatment facilities across the Country and Grossly Polluting Industries of Ganga basin to install
Online Continuous Effluent/ Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) for strengthening
monitoring mechanism and effective compliance through self-regulatory mechanism and
constant vigil on pollution levels. Real-time values of environmental pollutants of trade effluentand emissions generated through OCEMS are transmitted online to CPCB and concerned
SPCB/PCC on 24x7 basis. Central software processes the data and in case of value of pollutant
parameter exceeds prescribed environmental norms, an automatic SMS alert is generated and
sent to industrial unit, SPCB and CPCB, so that corrective measures can be taken by the
industry immediately and appropriate action can be taken by concerned SPCB/PCC/CPCB.
CPCB carries out surprise inspection-cum-monitoring of 17 categories industries and common
waste treatment facilities including Grossly Polluting Industries of Ganga basin, which are
selected randomly based on SMS alerts, generated through Online Continuous
Effluent/Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS), installed in these industries. In case of non-
compliance observed, action as deemed fit is taken as per the provisions of the environmental
laws. Out of 4538 GPIs in the country as on June, 2025, 608 GPIs were found to be non-
complying with Environmental Standards. Action (Closure Directions: 36; Show Cause
Notices: 571; Directives: 1) has been taken against the 608 GPIs that were found non-
complying with environmental norms, as per the provisions of the environmental laws.
During last three years, CPCB has inspected a total of 366 units based on OCEMS data, out of
which 192 units were found non-complying with environmental norms. Action (Closure
Directions: 5; Show Cause Notices: 116; Directives: 22; Directions to SPCBs/PCCs: 49) was
taken against the 192 units found non-complying with environmental norms.
There are a total of 222 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) operating across India,
out of which 53 CETPs are designed to achieve Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), located in
various states. The sector-wise distribution of ZLD CETPs is provided in Annexure II. These
CETPs cater to the treatment of industrial wastewater from diverse sectors such as textiles,
tanneries, electroplating, pharmaceuticals, and mixed industries, etc.
Further, The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti
(MoJS), issued directions under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to certain
textile and pulp & paper industries, as well as to select Common Effluent Treatment Plants
(CETPs). NMCG has taken the initiative to upgrade existing CETPs and establish new ones in
tannery and textile clusters located in the Ganga and Yamuna basins. These are Jajmau CETP
(20 MLD), Banthar CETP (4.5 MLD), and Mathura CETP (6.25 MLD).
(e)
In order to facilitate industries for adoption of cleaner technology, waste minimization
practices, augmentation & upgradation of ETPs, CPCB in association with various State Govt.
dept. and knowledge partners, has formulated Charters through participatory approach for
major industrial sectors namely Pulp & Paper (2012, 2015 & 2024), Sugar (2018 & 2025),
Distillery (2018), Textile (2019) and Tannery (2022). These charters emphasize on reduction
in specific freshwater consumption, effluent generation and reuse/recycle of treated effluent,
Self-monitoring and reporting by strict metering and maintenance of logbook & records,
Training and capacity building to strengthen environmental management cell and laboratory
etc. Ministry of Jal Shakti has issued a ‘National framework on safe reuse of treated water’ in
November 2022.
Further, AMRUT 2.0 Mission implemented by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
promotes inclusion of reuse of treated wastewater for non-potable uses like industrial,
agriculture, construction and landscaping etc
****Annexure-I
Sl. Name of the Total No. No. of No. of Industries having
No. SPCBs/PCCs of industries industries functional ETPs
Industries having operating
which functional without
No. of No. of
require ETPs ETPs
industries industries
ETPs
complying Non-
with complying
Effluent with
Standards Effluent
Standards
A B C D E J K
1 Andaman & Nicobar 22 17 5 17 0
2 Andhra Pradesh 1091 1074 17 1053 21
3 Arunachal Pradesh 2 2 0 2 0
4 Assam 2472 1677 795 1440 237
5 Bihar 219 212 7 211 1
6 Chandigarh 245 244 1 244 0
7 Chhattisgarh 1056 1051 5 1034 17
8 Daman & Diu 95 95 0 95 0
9 Dadra Nagar Haveli 159 154 5 143 11
10 Delhi 1504 1504 0 1504 0
11 Goa 209 209 0 208 1
12 Gujarat 13627 13261 366 13118 143
13 Haryana 3966 3693 273 3679 14
14 Himachal Pradesh 1068 1068 0 1052 16
15 Jammu and Kashmir 284 240 44 224 16
16 Jharkhand 213 213 0 212 1
17 Karnataka 3372 3224 148 3177 47
18 Kerala 5166 5146 20 5114 32
19 Lakshadweep 0 0 0 0 0
20 Madhya Pradesh 1920 1920 0 1919 1
21 Maharashtra 9925 9925 0 9735 190
22 Manipur 0 0 0 0 0
23 Meghalaya 231 190 41 190 0
24 Mizoram 56 54 2 54 0
25 Nagaland 6 6 0 6 0
26 Odisha 1445 1414 31 1303 111
27 Puducherry 94 91 3 83 8
28 Punjab 1811 1741 70 1621 120
29 Rajasthan 1217 1194 23 1154 40
30 Sikkim 64 64 0 64 0
31 Tamil Nadu 13199 13199 0 13151 48
32 Telangana 2180 2179 1 2142 37
33 Tripura 26 26 0 16 10
34 Uttar Pradesh 2017 1978 39 1903 75
35 Uttarakhand 871 871 0 864 7
36 West Bengal 22 20 2 12 8
TOTAL 69854 67956 1898 66744 1212Annexure II
Sector-wise details of CETPs with ZLD facility
Sl. No. Name of Sector Number of CETPs
1. Textile 28
2. Tannery 13
3. Electroplating 4
4. Mixed type of industries 5
5. Pharmaceutical industries 3
Total number of ZLD CETPs 53