The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has notified all industries across the country to register on its newly launched OCEMS portal. The move is aimed at enhancing real-time monitoring of emissions and discharges, ensuring that industries take greater accountability for environmental compliance.
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Strengthening Self-Monitoring
The measure comes under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The CPCB has stressed that industries should adopt strong self-regulation. The installation of the Online Continuous Emission and Discharge Monitoring System (OCEMS) will enable industries to monitor their operations in real time.
The portal follows the "polluter pays principle", which requires industries to bear the cost of monitoring. This helps minimize dependence on third-party providers and ensures direct data transmission to CPCB servers.
Key Features of the New Portal
The new system, called ODAMS (Online Data Acquisition and Management System), was launched on August 31, 2025. It comes with improved features such as:
- Direct data submission from industries to CPCB without third-party intermediaries.
- PTZ camera integration for better on-site monitoring.
- Advanced analytics and visualization tools for more effective tracking.
- Revised calibration protocols and alert generation.
- Geotagging of monitoring equipment for transparency.
CPCB conducted demonstrations of the portal in September 2025 with pollution control authorities and industries in Delhi-NCR.
Deadlines for Compliance
All industries equipped with OCEMS or those required to install it must register on the new portal. The deadlines are as follows:
- NCR-Delhi industries: By 15 October 2025
- All other industries: By 15 November 2025
State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) have been tasked with ensuring compliance in their respective areas. They will also have to submit an action taken report within 15 days of these instructions.
Background of the OCEMS Initiative
The CPCB has been pushing for continuous online monitoring since 2015. The initial guidelines required highly polluting industries, particularly in Delhi-NCR, to install OCEMS. In 2019, non-compliant red category industries were also ordered to shut down.
The earlier OCEMS portal, developed in 2018, relied on third-party providers for data delivery. With the launch of ODAMS, CPCB aims to eliminate such dependency and bring in more transparency, efficiency, and responsibility.
The new OCEMS portal marks a significant step in India's environmental governance. By implementing strict timelines and increasing transparency, CPCB is ensuring that industries take accountability for pollution control and sustainable practices.
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