Chennai Central Rly stn gets Consent to Operate
Tamil Nadu: Chennai, January HS (22):Dr. MG Ramachandran Central Railway Station is the first red category station in Southern Railway to obtain Consent to Operate (COA) under Air Act 1981 and Water Act 1974.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board sanctioned the COA to Chennai Central railway station as it complied with all requirements of the Air and Water Act (Prevention and Control of Pollution).
As per the Water Act 1974 and Air Act 1981, it is mandatory to obtain ‘Consent to Operate’ from the respective State Pollution Control Board.
The process for obtaining consent to operate involves making an application in a prescribed format to the respective State Pollution Control Board along with required documents and prescribed fees.
It is followed by physical inspection of the site (railway station) to verify the compliance and implementation of the conditions issued by the State Pollution Control Board.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has classified railway stations under red, orange and green categories based on the waste water generated and disposal of untreated water into the municipal drain systems.
While railway stations generating waste water equal to or more than 100 Kilo liters per day would be categorized as red, those greater than 10 kilo liters per day but less than 100 kilo liters per day would come under Orange category.
Railway stations with less than 10 kilolitres per day would be categorized as green.
Dr. MG Ramachandran Central railway station is the first Red Category station to obtain Consent to Operate, in Southern Railway.
The railway administration has achieved this, by implementing the mission ‘Swachch Bharath’ through proper and dedicated waste water management system and recycling of waste water to usable hence minimized the disposal of waste water to drains.
By this, pollution caused to the ground water and land is also reduced to a considerable level.
Previously two stations of Southern Railway have received Consent to Operate. Kochuveli station and Ottapalam station which has been categorized as Orange.
