PPCB organises dialogue with industry community of Ludhiana 

Ludhiana, January 28, 2026: The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), Ludhiana organised an environmental dialogue titled “Shaping a Greener Tomorrow” with the industrial community of Ludhiana here on Tuesday. Minister for Industries & Commerce, Local Government and Power, Punjab, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. The interaction meet was presided over by PPCB Chairperson Reena Gupta, followed by PPCB Member Secretary Dr. Lavneet Kumar Dubey.

Experts from the International Centre for Clean Water, IIT Madras highlighted the critical issue of depleting freshwater resources and shared best practices along with insights into advanced technologies for industrial water conservation. They also emphasised how adoption of sustainable practices can enhance global competitiveness and improve business prospects.

Talking about the High-Level Committee constituted by the State Government for rejuvenation of Buddha Dariya, Industry Commerce and Investment Promotion Minister Sanjeev Arora highlighted his dual role as a facilitator and regulator heading the Cabinet Committee for abatement of air pollution. He stated, “The Punjab Government is committed to balancing industrial growth with environmental responsibility. Our focus is to enable industries to adopt cleaner fuels and technologies while ensuring time-bound clearances and robust infrastructure. With dedicated, industry-specific industrial parks and pre-approved regulatory frameworks, we are creating an ecosystem where ease of doing business and environmental protection move forward together.”

Emphasizing the need for collective efforts by regulatory authorities and industries to address environmental challenges and transition towards cleaner and sustainable industrial practices, PPCB Chairperson Reena Gupta said, “Such interactions enable ecology and development to work together in a coordinated and complementary manner. PPCB will continue to host such dialogues periodically with other industry communities across the Punjab.”

Industry representatives actively participated in the interactive session and shared their experiences and benefits gained through adoption of cleaner technologies, regulatory facilitation, and enhanced competitiveness in global markets. The entrepreneurs also deliberated on bottlenecks faced in complying with environmental regulations and sought further ease-of-doing-business measures from PPCB and the State Government. Key demands included recognition of NABL-accredited laboratories, permission for rainwater harvesting for water-polluting industries, empanelment of additional expert agencies—particularly for the steel industry—for verification of pollution control arrangements, and removal of restrictions on expansion of dyeing units connected to CETPs. 

The industrial associations further requested issuance of SOPs for the electroplating industry, facilitation of PNG supply to Ludhiana industries, and rationalisation of consent fee structures—to which the Chairperson assured that PPCB will review their demands as per the guidelines laid by CPCB, NGT and MoEF&CC.

Reena Gupta underscored that environmental management extends beyond effluent and emission standards to encompass resource efficiency, waste utilisation, and sustainable development through source-level controls. She highlighted initiatives undertaken by PPCB to streamline regulatory procedures, promote self-compliance, and facilitate industries in meeting statutory environmental norms. 

She further stated, “The PPCB is progressively shifting towards e-surveillance mechanisms such as OCEMS, CCTV systems and GPS-enabled monitoring to encourage self-monitoring and reduce physical inspections.” She also apprised that PPCB has launched a policy for empanelled environmental engineers, comprising retired and experienced Board officers, to assist industries in inspections, verification of facts, and facilitation of consent and authorization applications.

PPCB Member Secretary Lavneet Kumar Dubey underlined the importance of adopting advanced technologies for effective water and air pollution management and stressed that sustainable industrial growth and environmental protection must progress simultaneously. He assured transparent functioning and full support from the Board in facilitating regulatory clearances and adoption of modern technologies.

Minister patiently addressed all concerns raised by the industrialists and appreciated their proactive role in promoting sustainable development through adoption of cleaner fuels and technologies. The programme concluded with felicitation of industries that have adopted cleaner fuels, in recognition of their significant contribution towards environmental protection and a cleaner environment.