Report on Need of Laboratory Accreditation System for CEMS in India

December 15, 2016

Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) is an active and indispensable part of pollution monitoring in developed economies like members of European Union (EU), United States of America (USA), and Japan etc. It has been extensively utilized to regulate emissions of gases and particulate matter in the atmosphere for the last 25 to 30 years. One of the most crucial factors behind the success of CEMS in these countries is the assured systems required such as for certification or quality assurance of devices, extensive testing & verification of devices by independent agencies, defined roles and responsibilities and guidelines.

India adopted the continuous emission and effluent monitoring systems two years back in 2014 when Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) mandated major industries and common pollution control facilities to install CEMS. Irrespective to the scale of operation, continuous effluent quality monitoring has been mandated in all industries situated in Ganga basin. Now, implementation of this initiative requires all the must have systems such as certifications system, lab empanelment systems and the respective guidelines and protocols for CEMS implementation. Such systems have been available in India but not for CEMS.