The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (“Board”) by an Office Memorandum dated 20th January, 2021 has directed all the Industries / organisations in the State of Karnataka to get the surface / ground water effluent, emissions, soil etc. tested only through the E(P)A recognised / approved laboratories.
However, the samples collected by the Board as per provisions of the Environment Acts and analysed at the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board’s Central Environment Laboratory or Regional Laboratories or by Government Analyst will only be admissible in evidence of a legal proceedings.
This is being done after there was a need of informing the industries to avail the laboratory services from recognised laboratories under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 (“Act”). In this regard, the National Green Tribunal (“NGT”) quashed the earlier Office Memorandum issued by the Board extending the time by another 6 months to enable the private laboratories having NABL accreditation to obtain necessary accreditation from the Ministry of Forests, Environment & Climate Change (“MoEF&CC”) under the Act. Further, the Board then directed to take steps either to establish their own laboratories or give accreditation to those laboratories under the relevant provisions under the Environment Acts.
Source : Karnataka State Pollution Control Board
