Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Environment Protection Management of Contaminated Sites Rules, 2025 on July 24, 2025, for the identification, determination, and remediation of contaminated sites in India. Local bodies or District Administrations must identify suspected sites and list them on a centralized online portal. State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) or Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) are mandated to assess sites, classify them, and publish lists.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Contaminated Site Definition and Identification:**
* A contaminated site is defined as an area affected by contaminants exceeding prescribed threshold levels, as determined by the SPCB/PCC after a detailed site assessment.
* Local bodies or District Administrations are mandated to identify suspected contaminated sites based on prescribed information and list them on a centralized online portal.
* **Assessment Process:**
* SPCB/PCC must conduct a preliminary site assessment within 90 days of receiving the list of suspected sites.
* If contaminants exceed screening levels, the site is listed as a probable contaminated site.
* A detailed site assessment of probable contaminated sites must be completed within three months, followed by potential listing as a contaminated site if contaminants exceed response levels.
* **Publication and Public Input:**
* SPCB/PCC must publish lists of contaminated sites on the online portal, inviting stakeholder comments and suggestions within 60 days.
* Final lists and public notices, including safety precautions, must be published in local newspapers.
* **Remediation and Responsibilities:**
* The responsible person must prepare a remediation plan within six months of SPCB/PCC directions, initiate remediation after approval, and submit progress reports to CPCB and SPCB/PCC.
* For orphan sites or sites under temporary possession, SPCB/PCC is responsible for preparing and conducting remediation, with costs shared by the Central and State Governments.
* **Current Status:**
* CPCB has identified 103 contaminated sites nationwide, with remediation initiated at 7 sites:
* Mercury contaminated sites at Ganjam, Odisha
* Chromium contaminated sites at Rania, Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh
* Groundwater contamination at Lohia Nagar Industrial area, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
* Mercury contaminated soil at the premises of Ms Hindustan Unilever Ltd., Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu
* BPCL oil contaminated site at Tondairpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
* Groundwater contamination in around the premises of Ms Godavari Bio Refineries, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
* Groundwater contamination at Effluent Channel Project ECP, Vadodara, Gujarat
Impact Analysis:
* **Local Bodies/District Administrations**
* *Impact:* Responsible for initial identification and listing of suspected contaminated sites.
* *Action Required:* Identify areas affected with contaminants and list them as suspected contaminated sites on the centralized online portal.
* **State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs)**
* *Impact:* Responsible for assessing, classifying, and managing contaminated sites, as well as ensuring remediation.
* *Action Required:* Conduct preliminary and detailed site assessments, publish lists of contaminated sites, approve remediation plans, and oversee remediation activities.
* **Responsible Persons (e.g., industries, landowners)**
* *Impact:* Required to prepare and implement remediation plans for contaminated sites they are responsible for.
* *Action Required:* Prepare a remediation plan within six months of SPCB/PCC directions, initiate remediation after approval, and submit progress reports.
* **Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)**
* *Impact:* Receives progress reports on remediation activities and likely provides guidance and oversight.
* *Action Required:* Monitor progress reports on remediation activities submitted by responsible persons and SPCBs/PCCs.
* **General Public/Stakeholders**
* *Impact:* Affected by contaminated sites and have the opportunity to provide comments and suggestions.
* *Action Required:* Review published lists of contaminated sites and provide comments/suggestions to the SPCB/PCC within 60 days of publication.
Key Entities Referenced
Environment Protection Act: The central legislation under which new rules are notified to address chemically contaminated sites.
Environment Protection Management of Contaminated Sites Rules, 2025: The specific rules notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for the identification and management of contaminated sites in the country.
State Pollution Control Board SPCB: The state-level regulatory body responsible for declaring contaminated sites and overseeing remediation efforts.
Pollution Control Committee PCC: A committee, likely at the state level, involved in identifying and assessing contaminated sites, functioning similarly to the SPCB.
Central Pollution Control Board CPCB: The central agency that has identified 103 contaminated sites across India and receives progress reports on remediation efforts.
Ganjam, Odisha: A location in Odisha with mercury-contaminated sites where remediation activities have been initiated.
Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh: A district in Uttar Pradesh with chromium-contaminated sites where remediation activities have been initiated, specifically in Rania.
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh: A city in Uttar Pradesh, specifically the Lohia Nagar Industrial area, experiencing groundwater contamination due to untreated industrial effluents.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3941
TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025
New Rules under the Environment Protection Act
3941. SHRI V K SREEKANDAN:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) whether it is also a fact that the contaminated sites definition means sites where
hazardous waste had been dumped historically, if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether it is a fact that the Government has notified new rules under the Environment
Protection Act to address sites that are chemically contaminated, if so, the details
thereof; and
(c) whether it is also a fact that the remedial operations have commenced only in seven of
the 103 such sites in the country, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) to (c): The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Environment
Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025 on 24.07.2025 for identification
and management of contaminated sites in the country. The process of identification,
determination and remediation of contaminated sites has been defined under the said Rules.
Under the Rules, a contaminated site has been defined as an area or a site affected with
contaminants and declared as a contaminated site by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)
/ Pollution Control Committee (PCC), if the contaminant is found to be above the prescribed
threshold levels after completion of the detailed site assessment.
The local body or District Administration, on its own or on receipt of a complaint from public,
has been mandated to identify an area affected with contaminants taking into account the
information as prescribed in the Rules and list all such areas as suspected contaminated sites in
its jurisdiction on centralised online portal.
On receipt of the list of suspected contaminated sites, SPCB/ PCC, on its own or through a
reference organisation, has been mandated to undertake the preliminary site assessment of the
suspected contaminated site by sampling and analysis of the suspected contaminated site,
within ninety days from the date of receipt of the list. SPCB/ PCC may list the suspected
contaminated site as probable contaminated site of the contaminant is found to be above the
prescribed screening levels.Further, SPCB/ PCC, on its own or through a reference organisation, has been mandated to
undertake a detailed site assessment of a probable contaminated site by detailed sampling and
analysis, covering the entire geographical area of the probable contaminated site, within three
months from the date of listing of such site. SPCB/ PCC, after completion of the detailed site
assessment, may list the site as contaminated site if the contaminant is found to be above the
prescribed response levels.
SPCB/PCC has been mandated to publish the list of contaminated sites on the centralised online
portal inviting comments and suggestions from the stakeholders likely to be affected, within
sixty days of such publication.
Upon receipt of the comments and suggestions from the stakeholders, SPCB/ PCC has been
mandated to publish the final list of contaminated sites on the centralised online portal and
publish a notice in this regard in two local newspaper having circulation in the area for the
information of the general public and also indicating the precaution to be taken in this regard.
The responsible person has been mandated to prepare a remediation plan within six months
from the date of directions by the SPCB/ PCC, initiate the remediation after approval of the
remediation plan by the SPCB/PCC, and submit the progress reports periodically to Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and concerned SPCB/PCC.
In case of orphan contaminated sites and sites under temporary possession of banks or judicial
proceedings, SPCB/ PCC has been given the responsibility to prepare the remediation plan and
conduct the remediation activities. The expenditure for remediation activities in this regard is
to be met by the Central and State Government in the ratio and manner prescribed in the Rules.
CPCB has identified 103 contaminated sites across the country, out of which remediation
activities have been initiated at 07 sites. The details of the 07 contaminated sites have been
given below:
(i) Mercury contaminated sites at Ganjam, Odisha
(ii) Chromium contaminated sites at Rania, Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh
(iii) Groundwater contamination at Lohia Nagar & Industrial area, Ghaziabad, Uttar
Pradesh due to untreated industrial effluents by several industries
(iv) Mercury contaminated soil at the premises of M/s Hindustan Unilever Ltd.,
Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu
(v) BPCL oil contaminated site at Tondairpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
(vi) Groundwater contamination in & around the premises of M/s Godavari Bio-
Refineries, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
(vii) Groundwater contamination at Effluent Channel Project (ECP), Vadodara, Gujarat
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