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It looks like Bhutan's new government has a tough road ahead to check the country's industrial pollution.From June 2008, Bhutan’s National Environmental Commission (NEC) is going to implement its newly set industrial emission standards on 120 factories. Now the big question is, with its three technical staffs, will NEC be able to monitor all these companies properly? Along with staff shortage, NEC lacks necessary equipments. It is waiting for equipments which are yet to be purchased.

Kuensel Online reports:

NEC officials said the biggest polluters are the chemical factories like Ferro silicone (6) or carbide due to their sheer size and by generating waste like micro silica, a pollutant that causes respiratory diseases and also cancer. Following these are the steel industries (4), which, besides generating sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and SPM, also pollute the water with slag, also a hazardous substance.

Other major sources of pollution are coal, wood and oil-fired boilers used in the food processing and wood industry. Cement plants, especially those like Druk Cement and Yangzom Cement, use old technology like the vertical shaft technology.

The problem is compounded by a lack of a waste disposal site in the area and, in fact, a few years ago, one boy suffered severe injuries from the BCCL factory’s chemical waste. “A central pollution control board (CPCB) team from Delhi has recently collected pollution samples from all the factories in Pasakha, Phuentsholing, Gomtu and Samtse and we’ll get the results in two weeks to know our status,” said Dasho Nado Rinchhen. A second sample will be taken in September 2008 to check the status after implementing the emission standards.

NEC has requested the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) for more man power. NEC also signed with an MOU with Delhi based research Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Another Delhi based organization, The Shri Ram institute of industrial research will also assist NEC.

The biggest challenge NEC is going to face is, because of low manpower and necessary equipments, it will not be able to monitor these factories more than once a year. At that time, the factory owners may shut down the factories and declare them under repair, tamper emission controlling machine or only use them at the time of monitoring. Moreover, many of the owners can use their connections with high government officials to get around the system.

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Kuensel Online